Life's a Beach
by legionarylogan
Summary: Running on fumes, the Connors decide to take a vacation to the beach to re-energize. Has trouble followed them there? Starts sometime after Brothers of Nabulus. See notes inside for better description.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N I don't have an exact timeline for this story only that it takes place sometime after Brothers of Nabulus and goes AU after that. Just sort of got the idea for the plot and tried to find a spot to introduce it. I don't plan on having it make much difference but other characters will show up so I felt it important to throw that disclaimer out there. The first chapter is mainly background and a little introspection that I felt was important to introduce but I'm planning on moving into more humor and romance with a little adventure thrown in. Anyway, thanks for clicking and I hope you enjoy the story. _

_Legal mumbo jumbo: I don't own Terminator or any of the characters associated with it. Just doing for fun._

"We need to get away from here for awhile." Sarah Connor said, striding into the living room, dragging her suitcase behind her.

"Why? Nothing's happened. Things are almost normal, at least as normal as they can be for the future savior of mankind, his cyborg protector, his uncle from the future, and his own mother whom the state of California has deemed certifiably crazy." John Connor finished with a sarcastic smile.

"Watch it." Sarah growled back. Not many people called Sarah Connor crazy and walked away uninjured. Her son was the only exception.

"Mom, we've been over this. There was no way anyone could trace us back here. Cameron went over the car with a fine tooth comb. She does every time we come back from a mission."

Cameron chose that moment to enter the room, casting a quizzical look in John's direction. "I did not go over the car with a comb. I simply scanned to see if any residual electromagnetic fields were able to be detected. One would indicate the presence of a tracking device. However, if you would allow me to borrow your comb, I will make another prompt inspection of the vehicle."

John rubbed his eyes. "No, Cameron. It's just an expression. I meant that you did a thorough search." John looked back at Cameron. _Wait for it..._

Cocking her head slightly to the left, Cameron simply replied, "Thank you for explaining. It makes sense now that a plastic comb would be unlikely to detect magnetic fields."

Rolling her eyes, Sarah re-entered the conversation. "Regardless of her tactics, we're laying low for awhile, John. A few weeks at most; maybe only a week. We're all running at fumes at this point. We need to recharge and re-focus. Our mission isn't our life all the time. We're allowed a break every now and then. All I ask is that you, in particular, stay aware. Get upstairs and pack." Sarah ordered.

"Ok, mom. First answer me these two questions, where are we going and how are we going to pay for it? We don't have many diamonds left and the cash is drying up too."

Sarah pursed her lips. "I don't know for sure. I thought maybe we'd look a little closer to the coast, maybe take in some sea air. Plus, we only have to worry about renting someplace, not buying it. I'd rather our names not be in some database either. I think we all know that cash makes people look the other way when necessary. Besides, I'm not planning on going far, just getting a change of perspective and maybe a little break for all of us."

"My mother, a beach bum. This sounds suspiciously like a vacation. Do Connors take those?" John couldn't help but grin. "This should be interesting." With that, John turned and walked towards the stairs.

Sarah narrowed her eyes as she watched Cameron's gaze follow John all the way up the stairs. She had been standing quietly by the window observing the mother and son exchange. When she could no longer see him, her brown eyes snapped back towards Sarah's green ones. Sarah didn't know what to make of John's bodyguard anymore. She wasn't quite human but neither was she completely terminator. Ever since the car bomb things like Riley, Cromartie, and countless other issues had caused Cameron to experience limited emotional reactions. Sarah could see it in her eyes more than anything. Eyes that used to seem like limp, brown pools now sparkled with life and even happiness at moments. It disturbed Sarah to a certain degree. Especially when something had to do with John. She'd seen the way the cyborg would look at John when she thought nobody was watching her. Her gazes for John then seemed almost tender. Even worse would be the looks that John would give her when Cameron wasn't looking. Looks that she thought had stopped for good. Glances that seemed almost...longing. Sarah still didn't trust her completely. She couldn't. Cameron was made to be an infiltrator. No matter what it seemed like, the terminator had to be mimicking what she'd seen. She couldn't feel...could she?

"Yes?" Cameron asked politely.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Sarah shook her head. "Nothing. Go pack as well."

Cameron watched as Sarah shook her head and walked back towards her bedroom. Hearing footsteps outside on the porch, she pulled her nine millimeter from the back of her jeans and leveled it at the door. Scanning the frame, she detected a thermal image matching the size and height of Derek Reese on the other side. Still, she kept her pistol aimed. The door opened and Derek came in.

"Derek."

"Tin Can." Derek replied by way of greeting, brushing by her, tucking his own gun into the back of his jeans. _Not my name but still better than metal bitch_, Cameron surmised.

Cameron lowered her weapon. She couldn't deny it wasn't Derek based on those two words. "Get packed. We're going away for awhile." she stated in her monotone voice. With that Cameron strode off towards the stairs.

Derek shook his head with a slight sneer towards Cameron's retreating back. Heading into the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator and took out a beer. Twisting the cap off, he took a long pull. He needed it after any interaction with the metal. He'd spent most of his life fighting the machines. He always wondered if the future John Connor was crazy for re-programming them. This John had tried to tell him about Cameron's developing emotions before but the whole thing bothered Derek. If what John was saying was true, she might be even more unstable then he thought before. He trusted John, well somewhat. His vision was still being clouded by...it. A pretty covering but all metal underneath. He'd been happy with the way John had treated it lately, ignoring it and treating it like the machine it was but even he could sense the turmoil beneath the future leader's exterior.

Sarah came back into the kitchen, interrupting his musings. "We need more money."

"Doesn't everyone?" Derek asked sarcastically. "How much?"

"Enough to get us a few days, a week or so undercover. Somewhere we can lay low for a few days, maybe take it easy."

Derek started laughing. "A vacation? Sarah Connor wants to take a vacation? This is too much. Maybe we can all spend some quality family time, play board games, watch John get closer to the metal. Or maybe better yet, we can go on a double date. We can go to the movies and get ice cream." Derek shook his head and sneered. "Kid needs to get his head in the game. He acts more like John Baum than John Connor these days."

Sarah started laughing as Derek slowly joined in. He failed to notice Sarah moving closer to him. Derek took no notice of her movements until it was too late. She grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. "Don't you ever talk about my son that way." Sarah hissed through gritted teeth. "He knows what she is and he knows who he is. I don't know what to think about Cameron right now, but John needs her. If he needs her, we need her." Slamming him against the wall again, she continued. "You don't want to mess with me right now. We're all exhausted. It doesn't help that you keep leaving for days at a time without letting anyone know where you are." Letting go, she walked back into the center of the kitchen and slumped over the island counter.

Derek shook his head to clear out whatever cobwebs remained after Sarah introduced the back of his head to the wall. He fidgeted nervously, keeping his eyes on her, not really caring to re-awaken the beast inside Sarah Connor. She was more of a mama bear than any other woman he'd ever known. _A tough as nuclear nails mama bear_. The one woman who he knew could take him down easier than he'd care to admit. Feeling the need to make some sort of peace offering, he hesitantly spoke up. "About the money...I think I can help with that." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small, felt bag and tossed it on the counter next to Sarah's hands. Spilling the contents out of the bag, Sarah narrowed her eyes at the glittering diamonds.

"Where did you get these?"

"Remember Moishe? The fence who had our diamonds from before? I went back later to see about 'persuading' him to return our property. Someone beat me to it. Guy was dead, shop was tossed but not everything was taken. So I just helped myself to the stock he had left since he had no more need of them. I was saving them for a 'rainy day' in case we needed to increase our weapon stock." Derek conveniently left out the part about his AWOL girlfriend Jesse being the one to gun down the stolen goods dealer. He felt that he shouldn't mention her presence in the past to Sarah yet. He didn't buy the fact that Jessie came back just for a rest but since he didn't know anything concrete at the moment he'd just keep his mouth shut.

Sarah scooped the diamonds back into the bag, tossing it to herself before nodding. "This will do...Thanks, Derek. We should only need a little bit." A smile nearly crossed her face before the warrior mask settled back over it. "Pack your stuff. Beach vacation." With that, she left the room.

Derek took another swallow of his abandoned beer on the counter behind him. _Great._ He thought to himself. _Sun, sand, surf, and metal._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John turned away from his suitcase as he heard Cameron's footsteps in the hall. Her light steps paused momentarily near his shut door. He imagined that she was hesitating about entering his room and in his mind's eye could almost see her hand hovering over his door. That was new. She never used to act that way. He sighed. He wasn't sure what was going on with Cameron and he anymore. He knew he cared about her, maybe in a way he shouldn't. He turned a gun on his own mother for her, even after Cameron had spent most of that day trying to hunt him down and kill him. He sighed. _How come the most attention I get is from something trying to protect me or kill me?_ He'd gone against his uncle's and mother's wish to burn her. He knew she was different and not just because she had told him. She meant something to him, something that even he wasn't exactly sure about. In the few months he'd known Cameron, she'd become his one and only true friend. Then she told him that he couldn't be trusted. She didn't understand that he believed his life wasn't worth living without her. After that, he rebelled against everyone, hanging out with Riley more, being more like John Baum then John Connor. He treated Cameron more like a machine, almost getting some perverse pleasure in his dehumanizing treatment of her after he had worked so hard to see her as something different. But in the end, after stomping away from her each and every time, he'd wanted to break down. Why did he do this to himself? Why did he do it to her? He knew he couldn't lie to himself anymore. She was the only one who would always be there for him. More than Riley, more than Derek, maybe even more than his mother. But in the end, he knew he couldn't escape his fate. That didn't mean he had to face it alone though. First, he had to clear the air between Cameron and himself. Things had gotten too complicated, too hostile between them, well, from him to her anyway.

"Cameron, c'mon in. I can hear you out there." John turned back to his packing while Cameron slipped into his room, closing the door softly behind her. "Are you finished packing already?"

"All I need are my clothes. It will not take me long to pack." Cameron replied.

"Just your clothes? Nothing else?" John replied, turning back towards his dresser to get his socks. He knew she couldn't get bored, well maybe not technically, but still he thought she might take a book or something. He wasn't sure how many times she'd read the dictionary but certainly there was something else.

"No, just my clothes and my cosmetics. I already have my nine millimeter and I have you, so I have everything I need." She stated.

John stopped mid-movement, a slight blush coming across his face. He was glad Cameron couldn't see it but knew she could sense it. Evidently, she decided to ignore it as she didn't comment on it. John stuffed his socks into his suitcase then turned to look back towards his protector. Sighing and sitting down on his bed, he patted the spot beside him. "Cam, sit down, we need to talk."

Cameron obeyed, a slightly puzzled look on her face. John gazed at her before mentally kicking himself. _It's time to set things straight and get them right again. I've treated her like just a machine for too long. Even if I've felt different the whole time, that certainly doesn't give me any right to act like a jerk to her. No other girl would have put up with it, that's for sure. Wait... Did I just think of her as a girl? I don't know if I've done that since the car bomb. I've been such a jackass to her._

"Cameron...I don't know why I let things get so bad between us. You've never expected anything from me, you take bullets for me, you've saved my life more times than I can count, and you've never complained about any of it." Cameron started to open her mouth but John cut her off. "Hang on just a second. You're not just a machine. You don't do those things just because you're programmed to. You know that and I know that. Whatever happened in the past, happened and I can't change it, no matter how much I wish I could. I was the biggest jerk in the world to you over the past few months. Looking back, I felt I had to pull away from everything. Call it teenager rebellion, call it immature stupidity, call it whatever. The point is, it was wrong and I'm sorry." John paused for a moment before looking into her eyes. "Cam, you're my one and only true friend. I certainly haven't been one to you lately but that hasn't ever stopped you from being there in case I needed one."

Cameron held his gaze for a moment before dropping her eyes. "You don't have to do everything on your own, John. Sometimes it's nice to have help. I appreciate your words and your apology. It also means a lot that you see me more than a machine. Ever since the explosion, I've been developing feelings that I don't always understand. I can't talk about it with anyone else. I know it's lonely being John Connor but sometimes it can be lonely to be me as well." She looked up at him with an almost mournful expression. "You're the only one who ever really listened to me, took the time to try and teach me things. It meant a lot. When you stopped doing it, I felt different. I don't understand enough about human emotions to truly comprehend it but I believe according to my database it would fall along the lines of sadness and depression."

John felt terrible at that moment. How could she feel this way without having some aspect of humanity in her? It still scared him a bit, feeling this way and caring so much about something (_someone_ he mentally corrected himself) initially designed to kill him. However, he had faced that down before. _Time to move on_. Without really thinking about it, he reached over and took her hand in his. She looked down at it curiously.

"This is a common sign of affection between two people." She stated.

Smiling, John replied. "Well, yea, it is but it doesn't always have to have such a technical definition. No matter what, you mean a lot to me. I know we can't forget the past few months but I just want to start making things better between us now. Can we start right now and start making things better between us?"

Cameron's eyes met his again before slowly nodding and displaying the barest glimmer of a smile. "I'd like that."

"Great, how about I give you a hand packing your clothes since I'm about done here." John said.

"I don't need your help, John. It will not take long." Cameron said.

"Well, would you like it? Sometimes it's nice to have help." John reminded her.

Cameron smiled. "Yes." With that she got off the bed and walked through the bathroom connecting her room to John's. She glanced back at the doorway to her room, giving John a hesitant, uncertain smile. John looked back at her and returned her smile before getting up and following her, happy that the first cracks were being patched up between them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John let out an inaudible groan when Cameron opened up her closet and began pulling out more outfits than she could possibly need in even a three week vacation. "Uh, Cam? You do realize we're not moving right? Just going away for a little while. You don't need to bring all of those clothes."

Cameron cocked her head at him. "I am a girl. It is good to have variety." She said simply before returning to the closet and coming back out with several more blouses.

"I, umm...noticed that you're a girl." John blushed as he said this at the same time noticing that Cameron had withdrawn her socks and underwear out of a different drawer. "But really, I think we can cut down on some of this. I mean, we're going to the beach so you probably won't need too many pairs of long pants. You know, just pack some shorts, a few pairs of pants, and some different shirts and blouses. You may want to consider leaving the combat boots at home too. Not really beach attire, you know? Just grab a pair of tennis shoes and some flip flops. Oh, and don't forget your swim suit."

Cameron turned around and looked at him. "I don't swim."

"I know, Cam." John said sighing. "Remember, we'll be at the beach. You'll need to blend in. You won't actually have to swim."

She looked thoughtfully at her suitcase. "I do not have a swim suit. When we get there, will you help me pick one out?"

_I wonder why she's asking? She has such a good fashion sense. Well...most of the time. That one time with the dress and combat boots.. Wait, is she actually wanting my opinion on her clothes, especially a swim suit? _ John slightly shook his head to clear it. "Um...sure. They'll be lots of shops around that sell beach stuff."

Cameron smiled at John. "Thank you. I value your opinion." She turned back to her suitcase, carefully folding her clothes and placing them inside. Almost as an afterthought, she opened the drawer on her bedside table, took out three boxes of ammunition, and tossed them in her open suitcase before closing it and zipping it shut. "It never hurts to be prepared. You should go finish your own packing. All I have left is my make-up." Brushing past John, Cameron re-entered the bathroom and began packing her cosmetics in a small, purple makeup bag.

John shook his head in wonderment before making his way back to his room. _Where does she get all this stuff? _He had just finished zipping his bag shut when he heard his mother calling from downstairs.

"John?! Grab Tin Miss, and let's get a move on! Derek, stop stalling and get out here." John couldn't make out his uncle's reply but smirked when he heard his mother's a moment later. "Why? Because I said so and if you need another reason, I'll be glad to come in there and get you moving myself. "

John dragged his suitcase outside and sat down on the porch with a sigh. Cameron joined him with her stuff, sitting on the steps a moment later without a word. John could still hear his uncle and mother continuing the "discussion" before they both came out with their own suitcases. Sharing a glance with Cameron, he shook his head. _This should definitely be interesting._

_A/N. I know that I said it earlier but this chapter probably moves a little slow due to the background and whatnot but I promise the next several chapters will get the story moving at hopefully a better pace. I'll probably change the style a bit and focus on only one or two points of view per chapter as opposed to everyone but some instances may call for other perspectives. I've got a rough outline of how I see the story progressing and I'm working on filling in the details as I go. I'd love to hear your thoughts and reviews on how it's starting up, plot, my writing style, etc. Thanks for reading! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Wow, I must say thanks to everyone who reviewed and is enjoying the story so far! I had several questions about a Sarah/Derek pairing. All I will say to that is keep reading (I know, shameless plug)._

_I'm enjoying the ability to write something that's just kind of fun and not as dark as some of the other fics. I'm a big fan of those but I'll be the first to admit I am unable to write those kinds very well at all. Anyway, thanks for coming back and reading chapter 2! I hope you all enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, we'd have the show on the air for many more seasons. _

Throwing his suitcase into the back of the jeep, John turned around, smirking as he heard his uncle still complaining about leaving so quickly.

"C'mon Derek, don't tell me even you don't want a vacation." John questioned.

"It's not that I don't want a vacation, I think if anyone has earned one, I would put myself near the top of the list, John. I've been fighting the machines most of my life." Derek shot back. "Not that I don't mind putting bullets in metal. In fact, it's one thing that I do get some joy out of." he said as he directed his scowl towards Cameron who was carrying her purple suitcase under her arm down the walk.

John frowned and squared up to his uncle. "First off, she has a name. It's Cameron. Call her that. Not metal. She is not the enemy, Derek. I'm not going to keep having this conversation with you. She saved my life countless times and I trust her. If I recall correctly, she saved you from Vick as well. That's the last I'm going to say on that." Turning towards Cameron, he hurried towards her. "Uh, Cam? Most teenage girls don't carry fully loaded suitcases with one hand. Plus, it does have wheels on the bottom to roll it."

Cameron examined her suitcase, tilting her head to one side. "Oh. That is a handy feature. I will make use of it in the future. Thank you for continuing to help me learn." Gracing John with a small smile, she made as if to continue down the walk.

"The most advanced learning computer on the planet and yet _it_ can't figure out how to carry a suitcase." Derek grumbled.

"Derek!" John snapped. Turning back to Cameron, he asked. "Here, I'll get it." he said reaching out to take her suitcase. Cameron started to open her mouth.

"I..."

"Sometimes it's nice to have help." John cut her off with a small smile.

Cameron closed her mouth slightly and returned his smile. "Yes, it is." John took her suitcase from her and loaded it in the back with his own and Derek's.

Sarah returned from locking the front door, dragging her own suitcase behind her. Derek reached out a hand to take her bag. Sarah shouldered past him, still rolling her suitcase.

"Move it Reese, you're driving. Start the car." she commanded.

Rolling his eyes, Derek strode towards the jeep. John caught a snatch of what his uncle was mumbling in a mocking tone.

"_Sometimes it's nice to have help_. Yea, right." Derek muttered.

John couldn't help but laugh.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Sarah!"

Sarah looked up to see Kacy, their pregnant neighbor, making her way across the yard. Her face was flushed and she seemed to be breathing a little heavy. Sarah had always felt an odd sort of companionship with the woman. It wasn't really hard to comprehend considering Kacy was the closest thing to a friend Sarah had at the moment.

"Hey, Kacy. Every time I see you, I keep expecting to see that baby as well."

"Yea, well. I certainly share the sentiment. Being pregnant in the summer is brutal. I don't know how you did it in the jungle. Anyway, I just happened to look out the window and saw you loading up. Being your nosy neighbor and all, I thought I'd just come over and say bye."

Sarah smiled. "That's sweet, Kacy. Thanks for stopping by. We're just taking a little family vacation. I think everyone could use a little relaxation and a chance to get away from it all for awhile."

"Things have been crazy, huh?" Kacy asked.

Sarah gave a little laugh. "You really have no idea." She glanced over at her son and her "daughter" . John was laughing at something Cameron had said who seemed to be observing John with a puzzled look before a smile cracked her face.

"They're really close, huh?" Kacy had followed her gaze.

Sarah whipped her head around sharply at Kacy's comment. Not noticing Sarah's reaction, Kacy continued, her eyes still on John and Cameron.

"I mean, I had a sister growing up and I'm sure I made her miserable, not that she didn't try and do the same to me. But John and Cameron seem really close for siblings. Seeing them together, I wish my sister and I had been closer. It's good they're there for each other like that."

Sarah forced a smile onto her face. "Yes, it's good they're always there for each other." She said, slightly gritting her teeth.

"Well, anyway, I know you need to get going. Plus, I'm broiling out here. Have a great trip! I'll watch your house for you, pick your mail up and what not." Kacy waved before turning around and laboriously making her way back towards her house.

Sarah stood still a moment, her eyes fixed on John and Cameron. _They're really close..._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'll take shotgun, Cameron sit behind Derek. John, other side of the jeep behind me." Sarah ordered after arriving back at the jeep. "If we run into any problems, Cameron can take out anything close to the driver's side, I'll take the passenger's. John, you keep your head down."

"There's no way the metal is sitting behind..."

"DEREK!" John shouted. He then turned and stared at his mother with an incredulous expression. "Exactly where are we driving through? A war zone?"

"Better safe than sorry, John. We're going to stop off and sell some of these diamonds first. Considering what happened at the last pawn shop we visited, I'd rather not take chances."

"Mom, I really don't think..."

Cameron chose that moment to interrupt. "It is a sound tactical plan, John. In case of a car-jacking, it would be the best defensive layout."

"Much as I hate to agree with the met..." Derek cut off his words at a glare from John. "Cameron." He said through gritted teeth. "It's a good point. Nothing wrong with taking a few precautions."

"Whatever." John muttered, slumping down in his seat. "I pity the poor idiot who tries to car-jack _THIS_ jeep." With a snort, Derek started the jeep and not so subtly adjusted his rear-view mirror to keep Cameron in his eyesight before backing the vehicle down the drive. Sarah rolled her eyes and wondered to herself. _Do all families on vacation argue like this?_

Reaching down into his backpack, John pulled out his CD player and ear buds. He might as well listen to some music and try and get some sleep. He was about to insert the bud when he noticed Cameron looking curiously at the device. _Do Terminators listen to music? _John decided to find out. "Here." He said, holding out one of the buds. Cameron looked at the bud, a slightly confused look on her face. "Put it in your ear."

"Oh, thank you for explaining." Cameron inserted the bud in her ear and waited patiently. John placed the other bud in his ear and hit play. Loud rock music poured out the speaker. When he turned to ask Cameron what she thought, he noticed her tilting her head, with a slight grimace on her face.

"Do you like it?"

"It is loud."

"Well, it's kind of supposed to be loud. That's the type of music it is. It's got a lot of passion and emotion behind it." John explained.

"Anger is not the only emotion expressed in music. There is also joy, love, and many other emotions present in music." Cameron replied. "Why would someone listen to music filled with anger when they could listen to something that has love or happiness in it?"

John just studied her for a moment before speaking. "You know, sometimes humans don't have good reasons for everything they do. I really don't have a good answer to that. It's just a matter of preference, I guess."

"I see." Although it seemed clear that Cameron didn't really understand. John didn't even really understood why humans did the things they did sometimes. "What is the name of the creator of this music?" she asked.

"Oh, this is by Rage Against the Machi...," John trailed off momentarily. "You know, I can't really remember right now." John hurriedly tried to cover up his slip. Perhaps Rage Against the Machine was not the best choice of listening material for a terminator. He hoped she wouldn't take the name the wrong way.

"I do not think I enjoy it." Cameron said thoughtfully. "If you plan on taking a nap, may I suggest something to listen to?"

"Uh, sure." John said a little surprised and wondering what Cameron's taste in music was like. Cameron reached into her bag and pulled out an un-labeled CD. Popping John's CD out and placing hers in the player, she gently shut the cover and pressed play. Not knowing what to expect, John leaned back and closed his eyes. A moment later, soft piano music wafted through his ear bud. John sat there motionless, letting his problems drift away with the melody. For several minutes, he stayed still, just listening. It was beautiful. When it ended, he pulled his ear bud out and looked at Cameron.

"Did you like it?" Cameron asked almost hesitantly. "It is Chopin and is my very favorite."

"It was beautiful and very calming." John answered. "I may need to make a copy of that."

Cameron looked at him. "Of course you can."

"Great...thanks a lot, Cam."

Cameron didn't reply but just gave John a tiny smile before turning her attention forward. "We still have awhile before we reach our destination. You may wish to get some sleep before we arrive."

"That sounds like a good plan to me." Closing his eyes, John drifted off to sleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah had kept her eyes moving between the road ahead and the mirror in her sun visor. She had watched and eavesdropped on the whole exchange between John and Cameron. Her heart ached as she saw John inevitably becoming closer to Cameron and she realized there wasn't anything she could really do about it. Not without hurting John. Not without destroying her relationship with her only son and reason for life. She would never admit it but at times she wished so desperately that Cameron was a real girl, that none of this had fallen on her son's shoulders. He deserved happiness, like everyone else and in an ironic twist of fate, his only real happiness seemed to come from something ultimately designed to kill him and every other human on the planet. To save humanity, billions would have to die and the only way towards victory in that future war would be to become more like the enemy, and even use them in combat against their former master. But was Cameron really the enemy? Was she really in the same camp as the heartless, soulless machine that killed Kyle Reese? She didn't seem to be but a machine is what had taken Kyle from her. Cameron was part of the same entity that the T-800 had been a part of. But she couldn't deny that Cameron was different from any other machines she had encountered. Even when John had been treating Cameron like a machine these past few weeks, Sarah hadn't been fooled. Cameron had been hurt by it and John was tearing himself apart as well acting the way he was. It was something only a mother could see. He could lie to everyone, even himself but he couldn't lie to his mother. Sarah sighed. The same arguments had been replaying in her head for months, ever since Cameron first appeared. She had to talk to John at some point this trip, away from Derek and away from Cameron.

Blinking her eyes to force the drowsiness out, Sarah reached for the aspirin in the glove compartment. One positive thing about always being on the run from killer cyborgs was that anywhere she was, she had a fully stocked med kit nearby. She popped two and closed her eyes for a moment. She was just as, if not more, run down than John. She needed this break just as much as he did. She couldn't remember the last time she even entertained the idea of a vacation. Training in the jungles of Central America wasn't exactly days full of margaritas and sunsets on the beach every day. Far from it. Opening her eyes, she glanced over at Derek in the driver's seat. He seemed suspiciously well rested for not having a bed in their house. Surprisingly enough, he hadn't even complained about that in awhile. She wasn't sure what that meant. She really didn't like secrets being kept from her and that was another little mystery she aimed to solve during this vacation. The man had too many secrets for her liking and they needed him to be honest with them. Shaking her head, she popped two more aspirin and closed her eyes for awhile.

No one spoke for the next hour as Derek drove them around, making sure they were not being followed. Finally after getting back on the freeway, Sarah spoke up. "Take the next exit. It's about 15 minutes off the highway. Derek silently complied, his eyes still warily watching Cameron in the back seat. So intent on watching Cameron, he missed the green Ford Explorer three cars behind that took the same exit.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pulling up to the house 15 minutes later, John was looking forward to getting out of an enclosed space with his surly uncle and hostile mother. He had noticed her popping aspirin like it was candy earlier and was slightly worried about her. She had never showed this much strain before. Even the few days after her breakout of the mental institute and during Cyberdyne's destruction, she hadn't been as tense as she'd become the past few weeks. He likened it to a taunt wire that would snap soon if the tension was not released. Constantly being on edge was wearing her down and he hoped for her sake that she found some peace and relaxation during this trip.

His nap had refreshed him somewhat and he was eager to experience something of a real vacation, or at least nothing shooting at him for a week. That would be peaceful enough. He got out of the car and stretched his legs, glad to be move around a bit. Cameron watched him before mimicking his movements, stretching her arms above her head and then out in front of her.

"Is this supposed to do something?" She asked curiously.

"Well, in humans it loosens up the muscles. I guess you don't really have muscles, per se."

"I do, just not in the human sense of the word." She replied cryptically. "There are some organic components beneath the skin that function mostly the same way as your muscles but are not quite the same. We share a lot of similar traits and are not so different."

"Well, I'm not sure exactly how similar, but I like different from time to time." John said with a slight smile."

"Yes, different can be good." Cameron replied.

John turned and watched his mother walk over to the landlord of the house they would be staying at. They spoke a few words before Sarah peeled off several notes off her stack of cash and handed it over to the landlord before shaking hands and receiving a key to the house. Sarah strode back towards the car and began pulling suitcases out of the back, shoving Cameron's into her hands and tossing Derek's at him. John quickly reached in and pulled his own suitcase out before his mother got her hands on it. He wondered if Derek had any beer in the cooler. His mom sure could use one right now it seemed.

"John, grab the camping chairs out of the back." Sarah ordered as she hauled out two of them.

John reached back and pulled out three tightly rolled canvas coverings. "There's only four of us, why did you bring five chairs?" Sarah just gave him an exasperated look. John felt the one on top and began to chuckle. Camping chairs were not supposed to have a pump action, nor a metal stock. Sarah had rolled up her favorite shotgun into the covering to camouflage it. With the canvas bag covering the gun, it took on the appearance of one of those rolled up chairs that people always took to soccer games to sit on. John shook his head in slight disbelief as well as silent laughter. _Some mothers write in tips to Good Housekeeping. Mine could write tips to Soldier of Fortune._

"Just because we're taking a reprieve doesn't mean that we lower our guard." Sarah lowered her voice and came closer to John. "As much as I hate what I'm about to say, I want Cameron around you at all times why we're here. We don't know this place and we can't take the risk so don't wander off alone."

John rolled his eyes. "I know, mom. John Connor is important, but I don't think any terminators are going to find me here. I'll keep my eyes open for suspicious looking people in Speedos who might be terminators."

Sarah sighed. "Just be careful, John." Her lips quirked slightly upward. "If I didn't hate that machine so much, it would be funny to picture Cromartie in a Speedo."

John joined his mother in laughter, glad for the first time some of the tension between them was beginning to melt, if only a little.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The house Sarah had found for them was perfect for them. It was a two story house situated right off the beach on the top of a slight hill overlooking the water. It had a big kitchen that Sarah had announced would remain unused by her much to John, Derek's and to John's astonishment, Cameron's delight. Cameron had explained that although she could eat in small portions to renew her organic components, Sarah's legendary pancakes were not high on her list of favorite meals. Derek was just happy that it was a four bedroom house and that he wouldn't have to sleep on a couch. John had been pleased to discover that all the bedrooms connected to the outside deck on the second story allowing breathtaking views as well as a quick exit in case of attack. For the rest of his life, he'd probably always assess the exits and choke points of any place he went into, regardless of if they succeeded in stopping Skynet or not.

John walked into his own bedroom and smiled. He actually had a normal sized bed and the room itself didn't look like it was made for an eight year old. Painted a warm orange color, the afternoon sun hit the walls and the room seemed to glow. His room was connected to Cameron's via a Jack and Jill bathroom like their rooms at home. He assumed she was checking out her own room and the bed she would never sleep in. He crossed to the large window and looked out at the ocean view his room afforded him. Finally, a chance to unwind.

"This looks like a room more suited for you than the one at home, John. The color is much better." Cameron's voice came from right behind him.

John jumped slightly and turned around to face her. She really was too good at sneaking up on people. "Cameron, please, just find a more subtle way to announce your presence next time. I can't stop Skynet if I die of a heart attack at sixteen."

Cameron frowned. "Your heart is operating at a slightly elevated rate but within a reasonable beats per minute range. It is highly unlikely you will suffer a heart attack."

John debated between shaking his head or rolling his eyes but decided to try and be nicer to her. "No, Cameron. It's just another human expression. You startled me is all."

"Oh, I am sorry." Cameron replied. "Thank-"

"-you for explaining." John finished with a smile. "You're welcome."

"So, what would you like to do?" Cameron asked.

"Well, with mom not cooking, we should probably find a store and get some food that's easy to make. Sandwich stuff, chips, that kind of food. We left in such a rush this morning that I don't think we took much, if anything. Derek was in charge of the cooler. We also need to see about getting you a swim suit. In fact, why don't we go ahead and get all that out of the way? Then we can enjoy the rest of the day without having anything to do."

John walked out of his room and found his mother stretched out on a lounge chair on the deck. She had already changed into shorts, sunglasses, and a tank top and was reading a book with a glass of water beside her. If not for the shotgun propped up on the wall next to her and the nine millimeter on the small table on her other side, John would have sworn someone else had taken his mother's place for this vacation.

"Wow, you didn't waste any time going into relaxing mode." John remarked dryly.

"When was the last time we did anything peaceful, John? I'm going to enjoy this while I can." Sarah answered.

"Well, Cameron and I are going to the store to get some food since we didn't bring anything when we left. Then we're going to find a shop that sells swim suits so she can get something to wear."

"Just as well you're going to the store. When I asked Derek to pack the cooler, all he put in there was beer." Sarah looked at her son over the top of her sunglasses. "So, I take it you plan on helping Cameron pick a swim suit out?"

"She asked me." John said defensively.

"Whatever." Sarah growled back. "Just...just pick something tasteful, got it?"

"Ok, I know, I know." John replied, exasperated. Seeking to change the subject, John asked, "Where's Derek."

"Went down to the beach. He said he hadn't seen it since he was a kid. Seemed like one of those moments he wanted to himself so I left him alone. I'll probably go down there and find him in a bit." Sarah answered. "Anyway, go on. We're on vacation, might as well try to have some fun. Here, take this." Sarah held out the nine millimeter which John stashed in the side of his cargo shorts. "Cash and the jeep keys are on the counter. Grab what you need and I'll see you back here in awhile."

John walked back into the kitchen and grabbed the keys and money. Walking back upstairs, he found Cameron standing in her room, looking around. John watched her a little puzzled before Cameron spoke up.

"I like this color. Do you think Sarah would allow me to paint my room at home?" Cameron asked.

John glanced around and grinned. He should have known Cameron would like the light purple walls. "I don't know but we're burning daylight. Let's get everything taken care of so we can enjoy our time here."

They walked out the front door, neither of them noticing the camera lens pointed in their direction.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hmmm...Some of you hit the nail on the head with the comments that this might not be the relaxing vacation Sarah wanted. On to chapter 3!_

Cameron entered the grocery store followed several steps behind by John. After scanning the interior and familiarizing herself with the locations of exits as well as documenting the threat levels of the various people in the store, she moved aside to let John pick a cart out of the lines stacked the wall. The one John picked out immediately began squeaking and one of the wheels began to stick and not move.

"That figures." John muttered. "I always manage to pick the cart with the bad wheel."

Cameron cast a critical eye over the cart. "Would you like me to fix it?" She asked.

"Uh, sure." John replied.

Glancing around to make sure no one was in sight, Cameron drew back her leg and delivered a swift kick to the wheel with her tennis shoe clad foot. With a slight crunch, the wheel popped back into place and began to roll smoothly. She gave John a slight smile and began moving up the aisle. "John, we have much to do and we should move on."

John shook his head and caught up to her. "I still can't believe that didn't hurt."

Cameron kept walking, her eyes scanning the aisles for the groceries they needed. "It did hurt a little. I have pain receptors that register pain in order for me to take on appearances that would as if I had been hurt. It aids in better infiltration that humans would not be suspicious. However, I am able to ignore them." She stopped and looked right in John's eyes. "I have sensation, I can feel heat, cold, and pain."

John swallowed nervously. "If you can ignore pain and other sensations, why don't you more often? I mean, it can be pretty useful, I imagine."

Cameron looked at him with her steady, unblinking gaze. "I like to know how you feel. Really feel, to be able to understand pain, to feel what it's like to be like you, like other humans."

John couldn't speak for a moment. He never thought too much that Cameron really wanted to be as human as she possibly could. Even adjusting her sensors to feel pain so she could truly feel. "What else can you feel? I know you started to tell me about your feelings before we left."

"I can feel a lot, not just physical sensations. It makes me confused. Around Derek, I mostly feel what I believe humans would express as irritation and some hurt. Sarah makes me feel somewhat uneasy. I believe that would describe how I feel in that she seems to be thinking a lot about me and you. She is suspicious of me, still doesn't trust me completely. I can see it in her eyes. Riley...she makes me feel different, especially when she's around you. It makes me angry, sad, and hurt, like my pain sensors are all going off at once but the pain is happening inside me, not outside. It's much harder to ignore that pain." she finished quietly.

John sighed. He felt terrible for making Cameron feel that way. He wasn't sure of his true feelings but he couldn't deny he felt some love for his protector. She stood in the path of bullets for him. How could he not feel something for her, even if that was all she did? But that wasn't all she did. She truly seemed to care for his wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. She really was in all sense of the words, his best friend.

"And me. How do I make you feel?" John asked.

Cameron smiled. "You...you make me feel-"

Just then a mother talking on a cell phone with a screaming toddler entered their aisle, interrupting Cameron. John saw her eyes flash in what looked like annoyance as she glared at the mother who was blissfully ignoring the squalling child while carrying on the conversation with the party on the other end of the line. John then saw Cameron's face take on a blank look and figured she was probably processing something.

"Uh, Cameron...what are you doing?" John asked.

Cameron didn't speak for a moment before her face settled back into her usual unreadable look. "I was processing ways to get that mother to do something about her screaming child."

"Um...short of termination or threat of termination?" John asked hesitantly.

Cameron gave him a slight smile. "Yes, short of termination. The most interesting scenario I computed involved her cell phone, the cantaloupe in her cart, three cartons of yogurt, and her head. I calculated that plan would be sufficient in gaining her attention."

John shook his head. _I don't even want to know what she had planned. _"Only three cartons?"

"Yes, four would have been overkill and two would not have been enough. Strawberry flavored would work the best." she stated simply.

John sighed, looked at Cameron's deadpan expression and couldn't help himself. He began to shake silently before bursting out laughing in the middle of the aisle. Cameron observed his reaction stoically before cracking a small smile and letting out a quiet laugh herself. Behind John, the mother on her cell phone shot them an annoyed glare. Cameron stopped laughing long enough to glare back. Bumping John's hands off the cart, she began pushing it down the aisle. "John, we should finish up here. We have other shopping to do."

John felt his face go slightly warm, recalling his promise to help Cameron find a swimsuit. He caught up to Cameron midway down the snack aisle. He began to reach for the Cheetos when Cameron stayed his hand.

"I already got you some." She pointed towards the cart with a smile.

"Thanks, Cam." John replied with a smirk. "It's nice that you remembered. Is there anything you want here?"

"I-" Cameron began.

John cut her off. "I know you don't _need_ anything. That's not what I asked. Is there anything you _want_?"

Then she did something that completely surprised John. She stuck her tongue out at him. "If you had let me finish, I would have told you I wanted some chocolate ice cream." she said with an exasperated air.

John looked back at her, incredulous. Did a terminator from the future just stick her tongue out at him for interrupting her? Laughing, he gave her a playful shove. "You're getting too good at picking up mannerisms." Cameron laughed back and gave him a playful shove back, resulting in John stumbling backwards several feet. Her air quickly changed to one of concern.

"John! I am sorry, are you ok?" She asked, her brown eyes full of remorse.

John, having caught his balance, merely rubbed his chest and grinned back at her. "I'm fine, sometimes you forget your own strength. Just as well no one saw that. I'm not sure my savior-of-the-world ego could take being seen getting pushed around by a petite girl. Not that there's anything wrong with that." John quickly added after seeing Cameron begin to open her mouth.

She closed her mouth and looked slightly appeased. John quickly changed the subject. "So, how about getting that ice cream? Maybe they're having a sale." Making their way down the aisle, John suppressed a groan as Cameron's eyes lit up with all the different choices and varieties of chocolate ice cream available to her. _This could take awhile..._

Twenty minutes later, they made their way towards the check-out counter. After calculating the per ounce cost of seemingly every type of ice cream in the aisle, Cameron had finally made her choice and placed one half gallon carton of dark chocolate and one half gallon of milk chocolate ice cream in the cart. Their cart was also piled high with enough frozen meals, snacks, and sandwich materials to discourage Sarah from reneging on her promise to stay out of the kitchen. John had thought it better safe than sorry and slipped in frozen waffles in exchange for Sarah's "famous" pancakes. The teenage girl working the check-out counter glanced over the cart, John, and Cameron before her eyes came back to linger on John before smiling shyly at him. Cameron noticed this and frowned. She took one step closer to John. John snuck a glance towards the check out girl and back to Cameron and looked at her with an amused grin.

"This isn't one of those feelings you were talking about, is it?" he asked, quiet enough that nobody could hear him.

"Maybe." Cameron replied with a hint of amusement in her voice as well.

John smiled knowingly. He was noticing more and more that the more time he spent around Cameron, the more frequently she would copy his moods and behaviors. If he was in a pleasant mood, she would be just as happy. If he were sullen, which had become a common occurrence lately, she would copy his mood. At first he thought she did it just to blend in but he was becoming more convinced that these were becoming unconscious reactions, _unconscious for a cyborg that is, _he mentally corrected himself. As the checkout girl began to unload their groceries onto the conveyor belt, John found himself staring at Cameron as she dug into her purse for the credit card. _Wait, when did she start carrying a purse? Is this another blending in attempt?_ _She really is different..._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Derek stood at the edge of a section of deserted beach, the waves coming in and lapping at his ankles. He remembered the first time his parents brought him to a beach. He was fifteen and his parents had taken him and Kyle as an early birthday treat for Derek. It had been so long ago and Kyle had still been just a kid but Derek remembered how his eyes lit up at the sight of the sand and surf. Practically exploding with energy, Kyle had dragged his brother down into the waves, happily splashing about. Kyle's laughter had always been infectious and most of the day had been spent playing on the beach with his younger brother. Derek remembered it as being one of the happiest days of his life, one that he occasionally would think back on while huddled in tunnels hiding from the machines. He let a tear creep out the side of his eye, not bothering to wipe it away. _Kyle..._He still couldn't believe he was really gone. One day, he had been there, fighting alongside his brother and the next he was gone. Sent back in time to protect the woman he now found himself working alongside. _Working alongside?_ _Is that all I'm doing? Is there something more?_ Derek didn't know. Sarah was something different. She possessed a fire that wasn't very common in his future. A burning passion to stop something that she would never see, never live through. Her dedication to her son and ferocity to anything that stood to harm him was one trait he greatly admired about her. _Admired, was that all? _He sighed and shook those thoughts out of his head. Everything in his life had gotten complicated. He was still on a personal vendetta to take down any metal he came across. Metal had taken everything that he had ever cared about away from him. It was only John's insistence that Cameron wasn't going to turn on them that kept him away from her with a package of thermite. Grudgingly, he had accepted her usefulness to them. That didn't mean he had to like her- _it- _he mentally corrected himself.

The past was certainly more complicated than the future. In the future, he only worried about staying alive, never considering many emotional implications. He had let those go quickly after Judgment Day. It was the only way to stay alive, to concern yourself with only a few people and just keep moving forward. After the loss of his squad to the Vick T-888, he had gradually allowed himself to open up slightly to John and Sarah. The knowledge that John was his nephew had made him feel conflicted, overjoyed at his link to his brother Kyle, but angry that the future Connor had never told him. So wrapped up in his thoughts, he failed to notice someone approaching him.

"So, it's a pretty day isn't it? Not too many pretty days where you're from, I imagine. Mostly filled with darkness and screaming."

Derek spun around on the spot, his hand going to his shorts pocket where his gun rested. He instantly relaxed as his eyes came upon a slim, Asian woman with long dark hair wearing a gold bikini and a smug smile on her face. _Jesse._

"Jesse, what are you doing here?" Derek demanded. "If Sarah or John see you, how am I going to explain this?"

"Hello to you too, love. I imagine even you could come up with a story. Tell them, I'm some beach bimbo or something, I could care less."

Derek narrowed his eyes. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here."

"Fine, fine. I see you can't be bothered with pleasantries at the moment. I'm doing reconnaissance at the moment."

"Reconnaissance? You wear a bikini to do reconnaissance?" Derek questioned. "You know what, never mind what you're wearing. Reconnaissance on who or what?"

"Need to know basis, love, and right now, you don't need to know. Needless to say, it's of upmost importance right now."

"You told me you wanted a place to rest, some place to get away from the war." Derek accused.

"I know I said that." Jesse shot back. "That's not the only reason I came back. You don't think you're the only one with a mission do you? I imagine it's similar to yours. I hunt metal and it seems like you've got a metal pretty close to our boy general."

"Cameron." Derek found himself saying without thinking. _Damnit, now John's even got me calling it by a name when he isn't around._

"Cameron." Jesse repeated dryly. She began to speak again, her tone rising in volume. "Need I remind you that IT...IS...A...MACHINE? It shouldn't have a name. It's not a person."

"I know, Jesse and I agree. It's a machine. All they're designed to do is kill." Derek raised his own tone.

"Keep it in mind, Derek. You may not know, but the machines are taking over in the future. John confides in his reprogrammed pets more than he does the humans. Don't you get it? He confides in the ones responsible for the near annihilation of the human race."

Derek felt the bile rise in his mouth with Jesse's words. He knew that Connor reprogrammed machines in the future and he couldn't argue with their effectiveness against Skynet's machines. But he drew the line there. The reprogrammed terminators were tools, nothing more and that's how they should be used. He knew John in the future as the cold and ruthless leader. A small part of him that he thought was gone forever hoped desperately that his present nephew wouldn't turn out exactly like his future counterpart. Even if that meant Cameron remaining in John's life. As much as he hated to admit it, Sarah was right. John did need Cameron. For now. He turned back to Jesse.

"I'll monitor the situation closely. For now, it's best that you stay out of sight."

Jesse regarded him closely. "Alright, Derek. We'll try it your way. However, don't think this is over. A metal is a metal. They can't be trusted."

With that said, Jesse turned and headed back up the beach. Derek watched her before turning his attention back to the water. He thought to himself, _what would Kyle think? He was always more trusting, more than willing to follow John's lead. Is that what I should be doing? _He needed a beer so badly.

One hundred yards away on the top of a dune, Sarah Connor narrowed her eyes as the woman left Derek's side. She wondered what that had been all about. Her gut was telling her something was wrong but she couldn't place what it was.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After placing the groceries in the back of the jeep, John spotted a beach apparel store in the same strip mall as the grocery store was. Walking inside the store, John began to realize he was in over his head. He really had no idea how to pick out women's swimwear. He remembered his mother's veiled threat and knew she was capable of carrying it out as well. _I can't imagine there are many other guys my age whose mom is fully capable of taking them down in a fight Then again, my mother is the only woman I know who is tough as nuclear nails._ Sarah Connor was definitely one of those moms. _Tasteful swimsuit it is._

Cameron slowly walked the aisles, stopping here and there to examine a swimsuit, picking them up and putting some back, John tagging along behind her realizing he probably looked like the part of the reluctant boyfriend going on a shopping trip with his girlfriend. That thought made him pause. What exactly were they? More importantly, what did he want? Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he caught up to Cameron who was staring at an emerald two piece swim suit in an almost unnerving way.

"Uh, Cameron, is that one you like? You've been looking at it for awhile." John finally spoke up.

"I am running an overlay scan on the suit and superimposing it onto my frame so that way I see what it looks like on me. I like the color. It is not purple but it reminds me of your eyes. "

John stammered a moment before finally getting his mouth to work properly again. "Umm...thanks. Is that the one you want to get?"

Cameron turned and gave him an almost condescending look. "I won't know until I try it on."

"I thought you were doing that superimposing thing. Mapping it to your body or whatever."

"That is still not the same as trying it on. So while I am trying this one on, I might as well try these on as well. "

This time, John really did groan when he saw her other hand full of hangers. She must have held at least eight other bikinis in various colors besides the one she was currently examining.

"John, what do you think of them?"

"They're all, uh, really nice Cam. I'll admit, I don't know much about women's fashion. If you're asking me my opinion, I'm sure I'll like anything you wear. Do you have any particular favorites in that bunch?"

Cameron looked at him thoughtfully before returning her gaze to the suits in her hand. "I am trying to decide between the purple one and the green one. They are both similar styles and the only major difference between them is color choice. I need to pick one that will allow me to blend in. Something not too covering but also not too revealing. Based on my observations of teenage girls, I believe these choices will serve me well in that. I will go try these on. It won't be long." she stated. "You should stay close to the dressing rooms in case something happens. Please hold my purse for me." she finished as she held it out to him.

John just stared at her. _She can't be serious. Really, she couldn't possibly be serious_. _Oh God, she is serious! _ Numbly, he reached out and took it. With a smile, Cameron headed back towards the dressing rooms, John slowly following. He just stared at the bag in his hand, thinking. _Please, just let the earth open up right now and swallow me whole. If Skynet could see me now... the future leader of mankind holding a purse that happens to belong to its most advanced creation. I don't know if an AI is capable of laughter, but I bet we'd find out._

John heard a slight snickering coming from down the aisle. Glancing up, he saw three boys maybe a year or two younger than he, laughing behind their hands and pointing towards him when they thought he wasn't looking. He debated briefly whether or not to get up after them or just give them the finger. He decided on the latter course, causing them to laugh further before disappearing into another part of the store. _Savior of the world indeed... If I recognize them in the future, they're on latrine duty, permanently. _

"John?" A familiar voice snapped John back to his senses. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he looked up to meet Riley Dawson's eyes.

_A/N: Well, a couple of interesting developments in this chapter. Also, swimsuit shopping is not completed, I just thought it would be a good place to end the chapter. I had quite a few reviews and messages about that experience for John and Cameron so I've expanded it and put part of it in chapter 4. Please read and review and stay tuned (or whatever you call it for the internet) for chapter 4!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Riley?" John asked with an air of despair. Ordinarily, he'd be happy to see his friend but after the revelations of Cameron lately, he didn't think it'd be a good idea for Riley to be around Cameron. He didn't want Cameron to feel hurt again and also that if Cameron decided Riley didn't need to be around, there wasn't really much he could do to stop her anyway. "What are you doing here?"

"What, no hi Riley, it's so awesome to see you?" Riley asked cheekily. "I'll forget your rudeness for the moment. I'm here on a little trip with my--well, I guess you could call her my foster aunt. She's sort of a friend of my foster family. Truth be told, I think my foster parents were happy to get me out of their hair for awhile. So, being a vacation for me as well, I decided to splurge and get a new suit for the beach. Anyway, enough about me. Care to tell me what you're doing hanging around the women's fitting rooms holding a purse? Seems kind of weird, but then again you're John Baum, everything you do is weird."

John scowled and put the purse under his arm, out of sight. He had been busily involved in a mental screaming match with himself trying to figure out how to get himself out of this mess. He decided to go with the truth, _well part of the truth_, he corrected himself.

"Uh, Cameron's trying on a few swimsuits. We left in kind of a rush on this last minute vacation and she didn't pack one. My uncle is out on the beach and my mom is back at where we're staying."

"Wow, swimsuit shopping with your sister, huh? Sounds like you're having a blast." Riley said, rolling her eyes. "You spend way too much time with her. Or maybe she wants to spend way too much time with you. Anyway, I mean I know she's like, socially deficient, or something but surely you can leave her on her own for a little while."

Something flared inside John. "There's nothing wrong with Cameron." he said through gritted teeth. "She is who she is, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Woah, chill out. All I meant was that you should get to have some fun on your own too and not always be stuck hanging around her. You know, be around friends. You don't have to babysit her all the time or whatever." Riley prodded.

John sighed wearily. _Cameron, I hope you stay put for the moment. _If not, he might have a serious problem on his hands. Like how to prevent Cameron from murdering Riley in a store full of people.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron had just tied the purple bikini top and was standing in front of the full length mirror, examining her appearance when her extra sensitive hearing alerted her to a conversation outside the fitting room. Boosting her audio sensors, she clenched her fist upon hearing the voice of Riley.

"_Wow, swimsuit shopping with your sister, huh? Sounds like you're having a blast. You spend way too much time with her. Or maybe she wants to spend way too much time with you. Anyway, I mean I know she's like, socially deficient or something but surely you can leave her on her own for a little while._"

Cameron frowned. She was having a good time with John and Riley just happened to show up and ruin it. Why was she even here anyway? The beach house was at least an hour away from their home. A feeling of anger and hurt surged through her. Wait, this felt somewhat familiar. It felt like other times that Riley had shown up and taken John away and left her behind. What was it? She ran a quick diagnostic, entering what she felt into her CPU and patiently waited for the answer. Her search yielded one result: _Jealousy._ She blinked. Was she jealous? Was it even possible for her to become jealous? Cameron accessed her database and ran down the description. _Jealousy: an emotion that describes negative feelings associated with insecurity over an anticipated loss._ Cameron stood still, processing the result for a few seconds. Did she feel insecure that she might lose John? That didn't seem to compute. She couldn't lose him, could she? She was his protector. Was she more? Cameron wasn't sure why John felt the need to hang around Riley. Currently, she had insufficient data for that issue. More information was needed to solve this problem.

"_There's nothing wrong with Cameron." She is who she is, and there's nothing wrong with that_." She heard John say and felt something akin to pride start to fill her. John cared about her, what kind of care she wasn't entirely sure, nor did she know exactly how she felt. She needed to speak with him soon about it. She almost did earlier in the grocery store but was rudely interrupted. For now, something needed to be done about Riley. She glanced in the mirror and thought about teenage girls and their insecurities. She smiled as her CPU outlined a plan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I'm just saying John, come hang out with me for a bit. You know, we can spend some time here together ourselves. You might even have fun, you never know." Riley said.

"Look Riley, ordinarily I might but this is a family vacation and it's really important to my mom. I can't just go running off because one of my friends happened to turn up." John explained.

"One of your friends? You have more that I haven't met? Besides, are we just friends anyway?" Riley asked sarcastically. "Look, I understand, ok? Just give it a thought. Don't you think you should be able to do some of what you want to do?"

John ran his hand through over the back of his head, trying to decide how best to word what he was thinking without sounding weird. _Although how could I say, sorry Riley, I'd like to but I'd rather hang out with my cyborg protector from the future who is posing as my sister and is in the process of an emotional awakening? Oh and by the way, I haven't figured out whether she has true emotions or not but if she does, I'm pretty sure she hates you. _He was pretty sure he couldn't think of a tactful way of putting that notion. Before he could, he heard Cameron call out.

"John?" Cameron's voice came wafting out of the fitting room. "I'm coming out and I'd like your opinion."

_Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap._ John thought. _Cameron's coming out in a bikini and Riley is right here and thinks she's my sister. Why me? Why didn't the earth open up like I asked it?_

Cameron opened the door and walked wearing a purple bikini that while tasteful by most standards, still caused John's jaw to drop slightly. If Riley wasn't here, this would have been a perfect moment for John. The suit fit Cameron's body perfectly, hugging her curves and the confident air that she carried herself with made it even more appealing. John tore his eyes from Cameron long enough to see Riley's mouth set in a thin line of annoyance of having his attention taken off her.

"So, from purple leather jacket to purple bikini? Good to see you're branching out. Surprised you're not wearing that over it." Riley asked with a note of scorn in her voice.

"It is too warm for my jacket." Cameron remarked stoically, though her eyes flashed daggers at Riley. John winced. Probably one of the worst ways to get on Cameron's bad side was to make a comment about her favorite jacket. Not that she really had much of a good side to anyone but him anyway.

"Riley, enough." John said. Wishing he didn't have to pretend Cameron wasn't his sister at the moment, John turned and spoke in what he hoped sounded like a neutral tone. "Looks good, Cam. Is that the one you want?" He sent a pleading glance to Cameron, hoping she'd understand why he couldn't tell her more at the moment. He saw a semblance of recognition in her eyes and assumed she'd gotten the message.

"Looks good?" Riley asked. "Look at her. I guess it's just as well you'll be around her so much so guys won't be constantly hitting on her."

"If guys start hitting on her, I'll start hitting on them." John said clenching his fists.

"John, there will be no need for that. I can take care of myself. Besides, I prefer to do the hitting." Cameron deadpanned.

"No, Cameron. Riley just meant that guys will think you're really attractive and start flirting with you, especially when you're wearing something like that. Not hitting, like fighting."

Cameron looked at John before replying. "I will still hit them if they do. To answer your previous question, yes, I believe this is the suit I wish to purchase. I believe it sufficient for my needs."

"Always so protective of each other, aren't you two?" Riley said sarcastically. "The brother looking out for his sister and the sister looking out for her brother."

Cameron looked at John. "You did not tell her?"

John started to sweat a little. _What's she playing at? _"Tell her what?"

"That you aren't really my brother." Cameron said nonchalantly.

John's mental screaming match with himself started anew. _Oh crap! What's she doing?_

"What do you mean he's not your brother?" Riley asked with her eyes narrowed.

"Just what I said. John is not my brother, not in a biological sense."

"So...you're like adopted or something?" Riley said slowly.

"Yes...something like that." Cameron responded with a glance at John. "John's family took me into their home in 1999. I have been with them since. I had nowhere else to go."

Riley narrowed her eyes even further until her irises nearly disappeared. "How nice of John and his mother." She remarked while shooting John a glare. "Whatever, I need to finish shopping. Call me when you're done babysitting, John." She looked at Cameron with the last remark.

Cameron returned her gaze and spoke up. "Riley, I have several suits still in the dressing room, would you like to try them on?" John thought he saw a spark of mischief in her eyes

Riley gritted her teeth slightly before speaking. "I don't think we wear the same size."

"Yes, you are right. I did not think of that. I believe I am slimmer than you are so they would be much too tight for you." Cameron said.

Riley let off a strained smile and turned to leave. "Perhaps you are."

John watched Riley leave. No denying it, she was ticked. "Cam, was that last bit necessary?" he asked exasperated.

Cameron looked at him. "She insulted my jacket. She is lucky I chose a verbal response. Next time I may not feel so generous. Perhaps she will consider her words first next time before speaking."

John gave her an incredulous look. "By the way, would you care to tell me why you changed our cover story, especially without consulting me? It wouldn't look good to get caught in a lie that we can't explain." he said trying to remain calm.

"There are plenty of places to bury a body here if she caught on."

"Cameron!" John hissed before lowering his voice and looking around to make sure nobody had overheard. "Let's not even joke about that. You may not like her but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be friends with her."

"Why is she here? Doesn't that seem strange to you?" Cameron asked, changing course.

"Cam, I really don't know. Maybe it's just a coincidence." John said.

"The odds of that happening..."

"Cam, seriously, I'm not really in the mood for calculations." Cameron's eyes fell a little and John could tell he had struck a nerve or the equivalent in terminators. Maybe he had been a little too harsh. _Harsh with a Terminator, that's a good one._ Still, he resolved to do better. "Ah Cameron, I just meant I think we should focus on having some fun. I mean, who knows when the next time we'll be able to, right?" John asked. Cameron looked a little more convinced so John tried a different approach. "You know, that bikini really does look great on you. It looks amazing, in fact."

That finally brought a smile to Cameron's face and slight blush to her cheeks. John couldn't help but stare. She always seemed to surprise him. He never knew she could blush or mimic one so convincingly. Deep down, he hoped that it wasn't a mimicry.

"So, are we good to go, or are you going to make me hang around outside the women's fitting rooms some more?" John asked with a smile.

"No, I believe I am done. I will change back." Cameron remarked offhandedly.

Within a few minutes, Cameron had reappeared carrying both the purple bikini and the green one she had been eyeing earlier. Looking at John, she spoke before he could ask the question. "I like this one as well so I will get both. Now you need to get a suit."

"I brought one." John replied.

"I have seen your old one. You need a new one." Cameron said as she guided him over to the men's area of the store.

John rolled his eyes and flipped through the ones available. He really wasn't sure why so many designers decided to put some kind of Hawaiian floral pattern on guys' trunks. Did they really think that's what they wanted? Finally, he found a pair of navy trunks that fit him well enough and didn't have any patterns on them. He looked up to see Cameron examining a pair of black Speedo briefs.

"Why would any man wear these to the beach?" She asked, holding them up.

Slightly laughing, John took them and threw them back on the pile. "I really don't know. It's certainly not my thing. Most people who do have a very distorted opinion of their own body from what I can tell. Let's go check out."

She stared at the briefs on the pile before shuddering slightly.

"Cam, are you ok?" John asked a little concerned. He really hoped she wasn't having a relapse.

"Nothing, it is fine. Just a slight glitch. For some reason an image of Derek wearing them came into my CPU."

John stared at her for a moment before making a face like he'd been sucking on a lemon. "Ah, Cam!! Now I've got that image stuck in my head, thanks a lot!"

Cameron smiled slightly before brushing past him. "You are welcome. I fooled you again. That was a joke. I am able to delete that image. It appears that humans are not so lucky."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Waiting in line with Cameron, still trying to get the image of Derek in a Speedo out of his mind, John spotted a bin of Frisbees and footballs. _Why not?_ he thought. Grabbing one of each, he put them with Cameron's and his swim suits.

"What is a Frisbee?" Cameron read off the name on the toy.

"It's a plastic disk that you throw and catch. Just something for us to have fun with at the beach. I'll show you when we get there."

"Can we go later?" Cameron asked.

John checked his watch. It was only half past two. "Sure, let's take the groceries back first. Especially if you don't want chocolate ice cream soup."

As they walked back to the jeep, they missed Riley's eyes boring into their backs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Derek walked back into the house in need of a beer. Shaking the sand out of his shoes, he headed towards the refrigerator. Jesse's appearance had been a surprise and not necessarily a good one. Whatever Derek had told Sarah or John, he was actually looking forward to relaxing a little. He might even have been able to since Sarah had turned the beach house into a veritable fortress with the arsenal she had brought with them. He hadn't argued with her about it either. Cromartie was still on the loose and they'd run across several other Terminators before putting them out of commission. There was no reason to assume they'd accounted for all of them out there yet.

Twisting the top off a bottle, he thought to himself. _Why was Jesse here now? _ He was going to have to play this one by ear. As suspicious as it'd look if he was caught, he'd have to get in contact with Jesse again. He needed to know what she was doing and why she was doing it. She could be a valuable asset but he had a sinking feeling that her goals wouldn't necessarily be the same as the Connors. Her animosity towards Cameron seemed to confirm that notion. Plus, if Sarah caught her snooping around there'd be hell to pay. In the future, he would have put money on Jesse taking on any other female. After meeting Sarah Connor, it no longer seemed like Jesse would be the safe bet. Sarah would tear her to shreds if she thought Jesse was a threat to John in any way, shape or form and she'd have no qualms about doing it. So preoccupied with his thoughts, he missed Sarah walking into the kitchen.

"Did you have a nice walk?" she asked, slightly startling him.

Derek stared into the depths of his bottle before replying. "It was ok. It's a lot different now than the beaches you see in the future. You can actually see the sand here. In the future, there's rubble everywhere. The only way you know you're at the ocean is when your feet get wet." Derek stood there looking out the window before speaking again. "It's peaceful here, you know? More peaceful than anything I've experienced in the future. I only wish that it could have stayed like this."

Even as hardened as Sarah had become, she still felt sympathy for the future solider. "I can't even imagine what it's like." she said quietly.

Derek turned back from the window and looked at her. "Trust me, I think I have it better than you. You know it's coming. You can't even focus on how good you have it now. You know you have to stop it. I get a second chance, a chance to change the future for the better and I also get a reprieve from the constant fighting in the future. Once you've seen the sky on fire and the world reduced to ashes, you'll do anything to prevent seeing it again."

At times like this, Sarah could see the similarities between Kyle and Derek. Both possessed a fierce determination to their respective cause and would die for it. Kyle had already died for her and by extension, John. Derek was different than Kyle but she hoped he wouldn't have to die for them too. He'd grown on her somewhat and even John as well. She could do with less of his bashing Cameron, since it would give her more peace and quiet but overall he wasn't bad to have around. Looking into his eyes, she was reminded of what she had wanted to speak to him about.

"You seem like something's bothering you. Is there anything you want to tell me?" she asked.

Derek snorted. "Who are you and what have you done with Sarah Connor? You're acting sweet and nice and not that I don't appreciate it but you tend to have a more direct way of getting what you want. Nothing's bothering me, I don't have anything to tell you." Sarah continued to stare at him, her emerald eyes gradually taking on a hard edge. When she spoke again, her voice had gotten quieter but it didn't hide the threat beneath it.

"I hope you're telling me the truth. I'd hate to be you if I found out you were lying to me." Her gaze continued to bore into Derek until he was forced to look away.

John and Cameron entered the kitchen then, carrying bags of groceries. Derek glared at Cameron, remembering Jesse's words. Cameron returned the favor, dropping a bag inches away from Derek's fingertips. Derek snarled slightly at Cameron before rummaging through the bag.

"Hey, ice cream!" Derek exclaimed pulling out a carton. "Haven't had that in awhile."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he found the carton snatched out of his hands.

"It is mine." Cameron said coolly. "If you ask nicely, perhaps I will let you have some."

Derek stared at Cameron, knowing full well he could never win a staring contest with the Terminator but decided not to let that fact stop him from trying. After a several tense seconds, he sneered and moved away having lost his second staring contest in as many minutes but not before noticing the smug smile that spread across Cameron's face as she put her ice cream in the freezer.

"Chocolate, huh?" Derek muttered. "Were they out of Metal Tracks? Did they not have any Cyborg Crunch?"

"DEREK!!" John shouted. "Enough!" "Mom, Cameron and I are going to go down to the beach, interested in coming?"

Sarah looked at her son and noticed the distance between Cameron and himself had closed without her noticing. She sighed. _Might as well get this out of the way now._ "Yeah, I'll come. We need to talk first. Alone. Tin Miss can get changed in her room while we do." Sarah gritted her teeth when Cameron slowly directed her gaze to John, her doe-like eyes questioning him. John looked in his mother's eyes before looking back at Cameron and nodding once. Setting her face into a blank expression, Cameron brushed past Sarah on her way upstairs. Derek also took this as his cue to exit, following several steps behind Cameron.

John remained standing at the counter. Sarah took a seat at the table and looked at him. "We need to talk about you and Cameron."

_A/N: Thanks for reading chapter 4. Next chapter, we hit the beach!_


	5. Chapter 5

John eyed his mother warily from his spot by the counter. "What's there to talk about?"

Sarah sighed. "John, let's not make this any harder than it has to be." She looked at her son before speaking again. "What's going on between Cameron and you?"

"Mom, nothing is going on."

"John, I'm not an idiot. You must think I'm completely blind to not see what's happening before my eyes."

"Mom...I don't know what you want me to say. She's..." John trailed off unable to make himself lie. He steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation. "Cameron's different. She's nothing like Uncle Bob was. She feels things, has sensation. She does things because she wants to, not because she's programmed."

Sarah closed her eyes. She had thought John felt this way deep down. He had buried his feelings before but all that did was cause them to boil over as they were doing now. That still didn't make this any easier. Opening her eyes, she spoke again. "Do you believe her? She's lied to you before." Sarah asked.

John stared into his mother's eyes, his green orbs burning into hers. When he spoke, an edge crept into his voice. "I believe her. Mom, she's my friend, my best friend. I don't always know what to think about her and her mannerisms and yes, she does have them, just like a human. What I do know is that she's not like the others. I know what you'll say, that she's just a machine, she's only doing this because she's programmed. She's not though. This is really her. This is Cameron." he finished as he held her stare.

Sarah sighed and rubbed her tired eyes upon hearing John's words. She'd fought with him too much in the past over this to have it continue. In a way, she wasn't surprised that John had started to have feelings for Cameron. He had become comfortable having her around him again after the weeks where he would only barely tolerate her presence. Right now, John's feelings seemed to reflect how much he valued Cameron's loyalty and companionship. But what came next? Affection...lust...love? Cameron was a modeled as a pretty, teenage girl who would never purposely hurt him, at least according to him, would never fall for any other guy, would be a confidant, and who would protect him with her life. From what she had seen of Cameron the past few weeks if she really could feel emotions, even rudimentary ones, she seemed to be experiencing them mainly around John. The remark about Cameron being his friend made her reflect on the life John had to lead. Her only son had to learn to survive when other kids were learning how to spell. Learning how to assemble an assault rifle when other children learned to ride bikes. Fate hadn't been kind to her son. It was bitterly ironic that Skynet had a made a machine that took Kyle Reese away from her. Now it had made a machine that threatened to take her son away, only in a different manner. But she couldn't push John on this anymore. Not without pushing him away and losing the only thing that made her life complete.

Sarah looked at John sadly. "John, I see the way you look at her. I see the way she looks at you, particularly when she doesn't think anyone is watching her. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not stupid. A year ago, well nine years ago technically, I might have been furious. I would have burned her that first night we stopped." She paused. "I can't do that now. Not for myself or any petty, selfish reasons." She trailed off, looking out the window before speaking again. "I want you to know that I don't hate Cameron. In a way, she's grown on me too." She paused and returned her gaze to her son. "I never thought that I couldn't hate a machine, one of Skynet's creations. But you're right. She is different, at least in that way. I don't know if I like her but I know I don't hate her."

John crossed to where his mother was and sat down at the table across from her. " I honestly can't believe I'm hearing you say that."

Sarah's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment. "I don't think we'll come to any permanent agreement on this now so maybe we can call a temporary truce on the matter." She leaned forward, making sure John's eyes stayed on her. "But I'm telling you, as I've told you before, if she gets out of line or tries to hurt you, I'll burn her myself."

John leaned forward as well, his face only inches away from his mother's." "That's not going to happen. She won't hurt me."

They stared at each other for a moment before Sarah did something unexpected. A smile slowly crossed her face. "Well, I see you definitely still have my stubbornness. Let's just try and put this aside, if only for a few days, ok? It's not over by any means but there's no sense in fighting over it now."

John could see his mother was teetering on the edge of exhaustion. "All right. A few days peace could help us all out. We might even see things in a different light." John headed towards his room, bumping into Derek in the hallway who had clearly been eavesdropping.

"John..."

"Not now, Derek. You've made your opinion on the matter known." John shot back. "And if you know what's really good for you, you won't bother my mom about it right now."

"I'm not afraid of your mother, John." Derek replied smugly. "She's got nothing on me."

"I'm sorry, Derek, did you have something to say to me?" Sarah leaned across the doorway, arms folded across her chest, eyes blazing.

Derek swallowed hard. _That's where Connor gets that damn look in the future. It could never happen but I wonder what would happen if Sarah Connor met future John Connor. Skynet would probably surrender without a fight._ "Ah, no. I'm good, just going to get another beer." _Geez Reese, you act like you are afraid of Connor's mother!_

John could clearly see his mother trying not to show too much amusement in the moment. "We're all going down to the beach, why don't you come along? You know, you might actually enjoy yourself, have some of that quality family time we talked about." Sarah remarked. "I'll even pack some beer so you can't use that as an excuse."

Derek could see plainly that Sarah was not making an offer but rather an order. "Yea, sure. Sounds good, I'll just go and um...get my trunks." He left for his room quickly before anything else could be said.

Five minutes later, John was sitting on the couch ready to go, waiting for everyone else. _We're going down to the beach, not out on the town, how long does it take them to get ready, anyway? All you have to do is throw a swimsuit on and grab a towel._

Cameron came down the stairs dressed in shorts and a T-shirt carrying a tote bag with two beach towels sticking out. John assumed she had already changed into her suit and his mind wandered to his conversation with her at the beach store. She set her bag down next to John and went to stand by the window.

Sarah came down the stairs a few minutes later with her beach towel thrown over her shoulder and the rolled up canvas which John was certain contained her SPAS-12 tucked under her arm. "Are we ready to go?" she asked.

"Waiting on Derek, nothing new there." John answered.

"I'll get him moving." Sarah muttered and headed back upstairs. "You two go ahead, we'll catch up with you." she called back.

John looked at Cameron by the window. "Just another day, huh?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron walked next to John down the beach, her sensors analyzing the warm sand that blew across her flip-flop clad feet. She stopped momentarily and picked up a handful, letting it run through her fingers before the wind carried it away. "I have never seen sand before." she remarked quietly. "It is different than anything else I have ever experienced."

"So, I guess we don't have too many beach days in the future, do we?" John asked with a sad smile.

"No, there aren't any beaches like this. Most everything here will be under water." she replied with a hint of sadness in her own voice.

John stopped her and looked at her for a moment. "If we can't stop it...I guess we better enjoy it now." Taking off running, John let out a whoop and charged down towards the water, flinging his towel, flip-flops, and shirt down before diving into the crashing surf.

Cameron stood there for a moment wondering about her charge's mental health before analyzing that John wanted to forget about his savior of the world status, if only for a short while, and enjoy himself as a normal teenager. With a tiny smile, she watched as John seemed to lose the tension that had been plaguing him for months, rolling around in the surf. He stood up and ran back to her position, water running off his body.

"Hey, come down to the water with me. I know you don't swim but it's shallow."

"All right. It will just take a minute for me to get ready."

"John!" John turned to see Sarah and Derek walking back toward him, his mom looking marginally more cheerful and even Derek seemed to struggle to not be as surly as usual. Maybe the change in location had done everyone some good. He waved at them to acknowledge their presence before turning back around.

"Hey Cam..." John started to speak before his eyes became glued to Cameron who was in the process of sliding her shorts down her legs and kicking them into a pile where her T-shirt already rested. The bikini looked better than he remembered in the store. He couldn't speak for a moment and just stood there with his mouth slightly open, gaping like a fish. Cameron straightened up and adjusted her bikini top slightly before noticing John staring.

Cameron tilted her head and looked at him with a slight upturn of her lips before replying, "Yes?"

"Umm...never...never mind." he managed to croak out.

Sarah and Derek had finally reached John and Cameron and set down their towels, disguised shotgun, and picnic basket which John assumed was loaded not just with turkey sandwiches and soft drinks but also with assorted small arms and thermite rounds. Sarah looked at Cameron taking in her appearance and switched her gaze back to John.

"What?" John asked defensively.

"Nothing...It's tasteful... enough." Sarah admitted reluctantly. Pulling her own clothes off, Sarah revealed a black bikini that John caught Derek staring at.

"Derek? Hey Derek!" he said snapping his fingers to his attention. "Everything ok?"

"What...?" Derek tore his gaze away momentarily.

"Nothing, just nothing." John really wished at that moment he hadn't seen him ogling his mother. _There's something else to tell Dr. Sherman if I ever go back . I caught my uncle from the future whose younger version is only about fifteen right now checking out my mother in a bikini. Will that make me any more screwed up than I already am? _

Sarah pulled out a bottle of sunscreen and squirted some in her hands. "Who needs sunscreen? John, make sure that you get your back. Last thing we need are sunburns."

John took the bottle and put some in his own hands. Sitting down and rubbing his palms together, he reached behind him, trying to reach the middle of his back. Sarah watched him try before reaching out and rubbing some in. John jerked away, horrified that someone would see his mother applying sunscreen to him. He'd rather take a burn than sacrifice that aspect of his pride. "Mom!"

"John, quit being such a baby. I'll get your back, Cameron can get Derek."

Derek eyed Cameron with a look of distaste before biting out, "I'd rather burn than let the metal touch me."

"Derek!! Again, enough!" John bit back. He had really been hoping this was over.

"John, it is ok." Cameron said. "I agree with Derek, anyway. I would rather let him burn than touch him."

John looked back at Cameron's deadpan expression and felt laughter starting to boil up inside him. Before he could let loose, he glanced over to see his mother's shoulders shaking with silent laughter before she couldn't hold it in any longer. Once Sarah had let it out, John couldn't help himself and joined his mother in laughter.

"Yea, yea, glad everyone thinks the cyborg is a comedian." Derek grumbled as he stomped down towards the waves coming in.

John sighed and felt two soft hands rubbing the rest of the sunscreen into his back. He started to resist and open his mouth before he noticed his mother out of the corner of the eye staring at him like a hawk. He glanced back and to his relief saw Cameron putting more sunscreen on her hands before moving up to his shoulders and neck. John turned back around, enjoying the cool sensation and touch of Cameron's hands before looking back towards Sarah and noticing she was gripping her book that she was pretending to read rather tightly. But to her credit, she seemed to be keeping to her end of the bargain and not saying anything about Cameron for the moment.

"Here Cam, let me get your shoulders."

"It is not necessary." Cameron protested. "My skin has the ability to burn like yours but it would heal itself in a matter of hours." She paused, seeing John's face fall a little. "Then again, it is the thought that counts."

"I'll get it, John." Sarah said as she snatched the bottle out of John's hands and began rubbing the sunscreen onto Cameron's shoulders and back perhaps using a little more force than necessary. John caught a glimpse of Cameron rolling her eyes before standing still. He watched as Cameron patiently waited until Sarah was finished before surprising Sarah with a thank you. He smiled a little to see his mother caught off guard being thanked by a Terminator.

"John, did you want to go down to the water?" Cameron asked.

"Of course. Let's go." Getting off his towel, John strode back down to the water's edge, Cameron following closely behind. Sarah watched him go, glad that for once he could be a normal teenager. Well, as normal as life could actually be for him. Again she sighed and wished the fates had been kinder to her son.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The beach was moderately crowded but not so much that Cameron couldn't detect any threats before they came remotely close. She carefully observed people lying out on their towels, letting UV rays to soak into their skin. She never understood why some humans willingly allowed their bodies to absorb damage. Humans did strange things she had noted time and time again. But then again, if they were unsuccessful in stopping Skynet, skin cancer would be the least of anyone's problems in a few years.

She followed John into the water until it reached her knees. She had never experienced the ocean before, never stepped into the water. Her sensors alerted her to the high level of salinity of the water and her CPU created a process to analyze the contents of the it. She watched as a wave came up and crashed against her legs, soaking her below the waist.

"So, what's it like to you?" John asked, idle curiosity on his face.

She turned and looked back outwards the sea before replying. "It is warm with a high level of salinity. You should not drink it."

John rolled his eyes. "I meant, do you like it?"

"It is very pleasant, I would describe it as soothing. Not cold or hot, but warm." Cameron sat down in the shallows, sinking a little in the wet sand, and let the water wash over her. John smiled at seeing the small smile on her face as she watched the water rush in towards her and recede back. He went and joined her, silent for a few minutes as they enjoyed the ocean's caress over their bodies and watched the waves.

"It is like nothing I have ever seen before. It's so vast, so timeless." Cameron remarked as her gaze drifted to the horizon. "Humans never seem to notice anything outside their immediate surroundings. They get so caught up in their everyday problems that they forget about the larger, outside world."

"I think we can make an exception for ourselves, though." John answered with a wry smile. "Our problems are a little more complex than dealing with homework and long commutes. By the way, when did you get so philosophical?"

"There are many books in the house, John and I don't sleep. You should look at them sometime. What you said was true but we are still here. Your mother was correct. You needed a break. Even in the future, John Connor cannot be wound so tightly all the time. The Resistance cannot afford for him to run himself ragged." She turned her head towards John and he felt himself wallow in her eyes. "We cannot afford for you to break." She whispered. "I can't afford it." she said even softer.

John couldn't help but notice how deeply he was staring into Cameron's brown eyes and he felt himself being drawn in closer and closer.

"John!"

John groaned inwardly. _Really?? Seriously, something now? _He looked up to see Derek coming up to join him. He had a sinking feeling that Derek had seen everything. Throwing a glare at Cameron, Derek held up the football he'd taken from her bag.

"So...um, I know I'm not exactly the stereotypical uncle that does normal things with his nephew, like take him to ball games but I can still throw a mean spiral. What do you say we toss the pigskin around a little?"

John wasn't sure how much of Derek's timing was planned or not but he thought he could probably use the opportunity to patch things up with his uncle a little. It had somewhat worked on his mother, getting her to call a draw was as best as he could expect at the moment. Derek might be a little harder to work on but maybe spending some time with him would help.

"Sure sounds good, Derek. Cam, want to come?"

"I didn't invite her." John heard Derek mutter. He decided to let it slide for the moment since Derek had called Cameron _her_ and not _it_. That was pretty good for Derek.

Cameron looked between John and Derek, her eyes settling on John, before replying, "I think I will watch. Derek might get hurt if I joined."

John's lips twitched a bit while Derek narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "You know, one of these days, we're going to have it out."

Cameron looked coolly back at Derek before answering, "That will not be a good day for you."

"Ok, Cam, enough. Derek, let's move up a bit." John jogged down the stretch of sand about ten yards away from Derek and they began to throw back and forth, warming up with short passes and eventually moving further and further apart. John noticed that they had begun to attract some attention, particularly a group of high school girls who were watching him before turning and giggling each time he turned towards them. One, a slender raven haired girl, had seemed to take a particular interest in him and did not turn away when her friends did, was eyeing him intently, batting her eyelashes when John would glance over.

Derek appeared to have noticed and was throwing the ball a little further away each time, forcing John to make spectacular catches, culminating in a brilliant diving grab in the shallows. This elicited a cheer from the group of girls. Rising from the water, he caught sight of a grin that Derek was throwing him as well as a tilted head in the direction of the group of girls. He returned the grin, throwing the ball back and happened to catch the look on Cameron's face. John remembered the look on her face when she had been hunting him after she reverted. Her expression right now was less intense but that didn't make him feel any better. He happened to see a slow smile begin to spread across her face and immediately began to wonder how to resolve this situation without bloodshed. Well, maybe as little as possible because if some of those feelings she had been telling him about boiled over...

Cameron marched up to Derek and grabbed the football. Taking careful aim, she sent the ball hurtling low and fast towards the group of girls, hitting the ground right in front of the black haired girl and throwing up a shower of sand into their midst.

"Oops. Sorry!" Cameron called towards them in the sweetest tone John had ever heard her use. With an angry glare, one of the girls stood up and marched towards Cameron trailed by her pack of friends.

_This is going to end very badly._ John thought as he raced to intercept the group before they reached Cameron. Not that he was worried about her. Facing six unarmed teenage girls wouldn't be much of a problem for Cameron. John found the thought oddly amusing but that didn't slow him down. Reaching Cameron before the group did, he did an about face and held out his hands in front of the advancing girls.

"Whoa, whoa. Seriously, that was a mistake. Really. She's sorry." John turned towards Cameron. "Apologize." he hissed.

"I already did." Cameron replied stoically. Behind him, John could hear the girls beginning to mutter amongst themselves. John could just see the headlines now if this got out of hand. They might read something like _Bikini Blowout_ or a worst case scenario of _Massacre at Beach_.

"What's your problem? Do you want to go? Why don't you show us what you've got?" The raven haired girl stepped towards Cameron threateningly and poked her in the chest.

"That would not be in your best interest. " Cameron said. "Also, if you wish to retain the use of that finger, I would suggest not doing that again." Flabbergasted, the girl turned back towards her friends looking for some form of help but they seemed to have caught Cameron's intense gaze as it swept across each of them.

"Look, um...we're really sorry again." John managed to get out.

Catching site of Cameron's stare, the black haired girl muttered, "Yea, as long as she's sorry." Without another word, she spun on her heel and left, her friends following her.

"Remember what we've said about keeping a low profile?" John asked as they walked back towards the water, still feeling the angry stares of the girls on his back.

"It was an accident, it will not happen again." Cameron said.

John sighed. "Ok, but do you want to tell me why you did that?"

Cameron looked back at him. "I don't know. It just made me upset seeing the way they were looking at you. It made me feel almost like Riley does."

"Cam, I'm sorry that it made you feel that way. I can't control how people act around me." He didn't say anything for a moment. "But it was pretty funny seeing that sand fly all over them." he said with a small smile.

Cameron glanced in his direction, a faint smile upon her face again. "Yes, it was." They stayed in the shallows for awhile, not saying anything nor needing to until John spoke up again.

"C'mon, I'm getting hungry, let's head back towards my mom." Walking closer to each other than they had on the way down to the water, they made their way back towards Sarah.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: This chapter was not initially planned but I received some good suggestions, specifically regarding Derek's POV. So, I wrote the first half of the chapter to reflect his take on what occurred last chapter. Then we get back to some beach fun in the later half of this chapter. Thanks for reading so far and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please keep the reviews and comments coming. I do appreciate each and every one of them._

Derek had gone down for a walk along the tide line after his war of words with Cameron over the sunscreen. Even Sarah was getting close to the cyborg, well closer than she had been. Showing a willingness to laugh at things it said was miles away from her usual behavior of treating the machine as a highly effective tool. Was he losing his only ally in the Connor household in his personal vendetta against any metal? John and Sarah knew the stories and even had a hand in taking some a few machines but that was no substitute for seeing what they truly capable of for years at a time. Derek had been fighting the machines for years and knew better than anyone in their group what they were. He still couldn't shake the lingering notion that perhaps John was right though. Was Cameron different than the others?

Derek moodily stared towards the horizon as the waves came in, trying to organize his thoughts. He had never been so indecisive on any issue. In the future, indecisiveness is what got people killed. In the future if there was a hostile metal, he shot at it. When he could eat and sleep, he would do those. There wasn't much room for anything else, let alone exploring his personal thoughts on issues and certainly not any ambiguity. Sadly, Derek realized that John was right in some aspects. In a way, humans had become almost like animals in comparison to the machines, losing their lingering shades of humanity. Basic instincts were the only things that were acted upon because survival was such a tenuous concept. But Connor was the only exception in the future. He drove himself harder than anyone else. He wanted to win, not just survive. He had become machine-like in nature, sacrificing his own humanity in the process. He shook his head at the thought. _If I told anyone in the future about these thoughts, they'd think I was nuts. _

Now wasn't the time for these ponderings, he told Jesse he'd keep an eye on the situation with Cameron and John and he planned to do it. He paused for a moment. Why was he really doing it? As much as he might try to convince himself, he wasn't doing it for Jesse. Did his hatred for machines run so deep? Was he betraying John Connor by doing this? _No, I'm doing it to save John. I'm just looking out for his well being, besides he doesn't need Jesse around him right now. _He wasn't really sure why he didn't feel comfortable telling John and Sarah about Jesse right now or even bringing her into their group. _Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that Jesse would try to destroy Cameron. If she didn't succeed, Cameron would certainly kill her. If she did, Sarah would tear her apart for hurting John, no matter how she feels about the metal. I don't know if Cameron would even recognize Jesse._ Derek shared some of Jesse's concerns about the cyborg but not nearly as deeply as she seemed to feel. He wasn't sure he even believed himself anymore about his prior feelings. He could see John's feelings beginning to develop into affection for the metal. Normally he would be disgusted, but even now, it wasn't as much as it used to be although it was still there. As crazy as it sounded, he really needed to talk to somebody about this and the only person who could relate in any way was Sarah Connor.

Turning back around, he saw John walking off and Cameron following right behind him, setting off at an angle towards another part of the beach. It was just as well. This needed to be a private conversation. He trudged back towards Sarah and noticed that while she appeared to be reading a book, he noticed her eyes peering out over the top of her sunglasses, watching John and Cameron stopping at the water's edge. Taking a seat on the towel next to Sarah, he glanced over at her.

"You do realize your book is upside down, right?" He said with a smirk. When Sarah didn't respond, he followed her gaze until it finding where it rested. "So, still not fully trusting the metal, huh?" Derek asked, probing a bit to see Sarah's reaction.

"No, of course I don't fully trust her. I'd be a fool too. She's gotten a lot better and John seems to trust her but I can't, not fully." Sarah replied her eyes still on the pair at the water.

"So, what you're saying is you trust it somewhat but not completely." Derek said slowly.

Sarah finally gave up the appearance of reading and turned to face Derek completely. "Yes, I don't know if I can ever trust her completely. But she's saved John's life numerous times and I can't ever forget that. She could have let him die if that was her mission. She hasn't. I'm more afraid that something would cause her to revert again then I am that she knowingly would betray us. That's why I watch her."

Derek took note of the fact that when Sarah spoke of Cameron, she would refer to her not as an it but as a she. That confirmed enough for him. He decided to try and probe some more. "I still can't trust her. The machines have done too much and taken too much from me to ever want to be around one. They turned my whole life upside down." Derek said with a tinge of regret in his voice.

Sarah felt like she had entered into some kind of surreal alternate universe where Derek actually seemed to have feelings. Discretely pinching herself, she concluded that this wasn't a dream either. Not missing the irony of being incarcerated in a mental institution for speaking the truth about machines from the future, she cast about for a way of counseling Derek, the hardened solider from the future. "You know, yours isn't the only life that was ruined." she said quietly.

"I know that. In a lot of ways, it's much worse on the survivors than the ones who died on Judgment Day and after, the ones who live in the ashes, struggling to fight back. We couldn't fight before Connor took command. He's the one who inspired the humans to band together." Derek sat silent for a moment gazing into the middle distance. Sarah just sat and looked to him, seeing his need to get this out. With a long sigh, Derek began speaking again. "Then we see how he re-programs the machines. I understand the logic of it, turning Skynet's own weapons against them but at what cost? Aren't we supposed to wipe them out?"

Sarah mulled over his words. "I understand what you're saying and I understand your reasoning behind it. There's a lot of gray in this, it's no longer an issue of black and white. Look at Cameron. Can you honestly tell me she's exactly the same as the ones you fight in the future?"

Derek stared down at the water's edge, where John had taken a seat in the shallows next to Cameron. The scene between them looked so natural, so...human. Gritting his teeth, he replied. "No, she's not exactly the same but she's capable of being exactly the same. That's why I can't relax around the metal. Sometimes they go bad." he added darkly.

"Derek, just drop it for now. That particular moral dilemma isn't going to resolve itself today, here on this beach. Look at John. For once he's seemingly happy. Just let him have this day, this week. Tracking down the beginnings of Skynet won't wait forever, but it can wait for now." With an air of finality Sarah opened her book and finally began to read.

Derek stared at the sand between his feet momentarily before reaching a hand down and scooping a handful, letting it run through his fingers. Just like the sand that shifted through his fingers, humanity could be blown away in an instant and would be if they failed. What price was he willing to make to ensure the survival of the human race or even perhaps the prevention of Judgment Day? He had to make his choice, one way or the other and soon. For now, maybe he should really try and get closer to John. He didn't have many friends other than that blonde girl, Riley, he'd seen around the house once or twice and of course Cameron. He hadn't been a very good uncle to his nephew. Maybe it was time to correct it. Spotting Cameron's tote bag, he saw the football poking out of the top. He grabbed it and started to jog down to where his nephew still sat in the shallows. Seeing him start to lean closer to the cyborg, he picked up his pace and called out to him. "John!"

He saw his him pull back from Cameron with a slightly irritated look on his face which relaxed slightly when he saw it was his uncle. Derek managed to keep his face even at John while throwing a glare in Cameron's direction.

"So...um, I know I'm not exactly the stereotypical uncle that does normal things with his nephew, like take him to ball games but I can still throw a mean spiral. What do you say we toss the pigskin around a little?" Derek asked a little hopefully. While he was still uncomfortable with the time John spent with Cameron, deep down he really wanted him to be happy. If he spent some time with John, maybe his thoughts wouldn't turn to his protector so much. Most of the time, if he did anything with his nephew, just the two of them, it was Terminator related. The only other time Derek could remember doing anything else with John was the day he took him to see the younger version of his father and bought him an ice cream. That day had ended with John holding a gun on him and reviving the cyborg who sat next to him currently returning Derek's glare.

"Sure, sounds good, Derek. Cam, want to come?" John said, breaking into Derek's thoughts.

"I didn't invite her." Derek muttered, hoping John wouldn't hear it. He knew Cameron would. She could probably hear a pin drop three rooms away in the house.

Cameron looked between John and Derek, her eyes settling on John, before replying, "I think I will watch. Derek might get hurt if I joined."

Derek saw John trying to stifle a smile. Derek narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "You know, one of these days, we're going to have it out."

Cameron looked coolly back at Derek before answering, "That will not be a good day for you."

Derek had half a mind to go about and bring on that day before he remembered where he was. Attacking what looked to be a teenage girl in such a public place would surely bring about unwanted attention. Plus, said looking teenage girl could tear him apart, unarmed as he was, making for even greater attention.

"Ok, Cam, enough. Derek, let's move up a bit." John headed down the beach a ways before turning and holding his hands out for the catch. Derek sent a short pass John's way. Hiding a smile all the while, he and his nephew continued to pass and catch. While doing so, Derek couldn't help thinking of Kyle and how John reminded him so much of him. Even though baseball had been their main pursuit growing up, Derek had still taught Kyle the fundamentals of football and playing with John almost seemed to be picking up where he left off with Kyle. If only Kyle could have been here, playing catch with his son.

Derek's musings were interrupted by cheers emitting down from John's stretch of the beach after his nephew made a particular difficult catch. He shook his head and tried to clear it of the increasing amounts of self-reflection he had been indulging in lately. Maybe it was the fact that something wasn't shooting at him every day that had allowed him to let his guard down a bit. He looked down further and saw a group of what looked like high school girls taking an interest in his nephew. Who knew, maybe his one of those girls would catch his nephew's eyes. He'd certainly rather John find a human companion. Something seemed off about that Riley he kept hanging around with. There was one dark-haired girl who seemed to be watching with particular interest and not bothering to hide it. Grinning, he took it upon himself to push John into a series of increasing difficult catches. In the last one, he threw it several feet to John's left, causing him to dive into the shallows and come up sputtering with the ball clenched in his hands. This caused the biggest cheer yet from his new found fans. He saw a rueful smile form on John's face before throwing the ball back to his uncle. _Atta boy Johnny. Just like his father, doesn't seek out praise but he sure enjoys it._

Derek felt the ball snatched from his grasp and turned to see Cameron. If he didn't think the cyborg to be capable of real emotions, he'd think she was jealous. Before he could say anything, she had thrown a hard spiral low and fast towards the group of girls, throwing up a blast of sand over them when the ball stopped, half buried in the dune. Derek took this as his cue to exit and let John handle the inevitable smoothing over this would take. Heading back towards Sarah at a jog, he resisted the urge to look over his shoulder to see how John was handling the situation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When John arrived back where his mother sat reading in her chair and Derek lay stretched out, he couldn't resist. "Thanks for all your help back there, Derek." he said with a twinge of sarcasm.

"Not a problem, General Connor." Derek gave a half-hearted salute from his position lying on the ground.

"Whatever." John muttered. "I'm starving." He dug into the picnic basket. "Mom, where are the turkey sandwiches?"

"Just look, they're in there." Sarah replied, not looking up from her book.

"I know, I know. The turkey will reveal itself to me." John finished. Finally digging to the bottom, he pulled out several of the sandwiches. Offering one to Cameron, he was not surprised to see her decline. _Must not need to regenerate any organic material_ , he mused. That'd be a handy feature he wouldn't mind having. Noticing that Derek appeared to have closed his eyes, he couldn't resist. Taking a can of Coke, he cracked it open with a hiss of carbonation escaping. Derek immediately sat up and looked around.

"Who's got beer?"

Laughing at his uncle, John replied. "Sorry, couldn't resist. It's just soda. I'm not sure if there's any beer in there."

Derek turned to Sarah with an expression of shock. "You told me you'd bring some if I came down."

"Quit whining, Derek, there's some in there. You shouldn't let John do that do you." Sarah said, putting down her book with an air of exasperation. "I swear, if you're not shooting at something or drinking you're not happy."

"Those aren't the only things that make me happy." Derek said.

"Well, it's probably some of the only things we could talk about in a public place." Sarah shot back.

"Says you." Derek glanced at Sarah before looking away again.

John held out his hands. "Whoa. Neutral corners, please. Derek, here." John tossed him a bottle of beer that Derek immediately cracked open. Taking a long pull before lowering the bottle and looking over the rim at John, he said. "That was not funny, by the way."

"Sure it was, Derek. You just need to work on that sense of humor a bit, I'd guess."

"Yea, I guess I didn't get to see too many stand-up acts where I come from." Derek went back to his beer, muttering under his breath. "I think I liked you better when you were moody all the time."

John pretended not to hear him and concentrated on eating his sandwich. Looking up, he wasn't surprised to see Cameron watching him. "Umm...Cam? Do you have to do that while I'm eating? It's just a bit... well creepy."

"What should I do?" she asked.

"I don't know, catch some rays or something."

"Catch some rays?"

"You know, just lie back and enjoy the sun."

"Oh, thank you for explaining." Cameron spread her towel on the sand and laid down on her back. After a few minutes, she spoke. "Is this fun? I cannot tell if it is supposed to be. It is not as nice as the water, though."

"Just...never mind. I'm done eating anyway. What do you say we get the Frisbee out?" John asked. Grabbing the disk of out Cameron's bag, he pushed himself off the sand. She fell into step next to him as they made their way down towards the water. While he had been eating, the beach had seemed to have grown more crowded. Finally finding an empty stretch, he set about showing Cameron how to throw it.

"Here, all you've got to do is hold it like this." John held the Frisbee in his hands, "and just flick your wrist to toss it." He demonstrated with a small toss to her. John took it back before jogging several yards away. "Ready?" he called before throwing the Frisbee towards her. She snagged it neatly out of the air. She stared at it with a dubious expression before holding it like John had shown her and sending it whizzing towards John with great force. John just barely managed to get his hand in front of his torso to catch it, wringing his hand in silent agony.

"Was that not the correct way?" she asked.

"Yes, the technique was great but since you're not the best judge of your own strength, how about dialing it back a little before you throw it to me?" He said , trying to ignore the stinging of his hand.

They continued on for some time before Sarah made her way down to their position. "Ok, Derek and I are heading back. Apparently, drinking out in the sun for most of the afternoon doesn't agree with him too well. Are you two coming back?"

"Yea, I think so, probably in a few minutes. We may sit out here and watch the sunset. It'd be nice to see one without all the pollution."

"Fine, just don't stay out forever. Here, you can take the picnic basket back when you come back." John raised his eyebrows. "Don't be dense, John. We didn't just pack food in there, remember?"

John sighed and remembered that even though he was on vacation, he was still John Connor, future leader of the Resistance. "Yea, I got it."

Sarah turned and left, having to support a slightly stumbling Derek across the soft sand towards the beach house.

John found a spot on the top of the dune where they had a perfect view of the sun going down. Cameron sat quietly beside him, seemingly taken in by the sight before their eyes. As the golden orb gradually dipped into the ocean at the horizon, John couldn't help feel at peace. Even with the day's hectic beginning, Riley's surprise appearance, and the conversation with his mother, it had been one of the better days he had in awhile. Glancing at his watch, he decided it was time to go. Standing up and extending a hand to Cameron, he looked back over his shoulder as the last of the sun's rays dimmed and twilight began to spread across the sky.

Walking back, he asked Cameron. "Did you have fun today?"

She didn't answer right away but her eyes seemed to be sparkling. "Yes, it was nice to do something different."

John laughed slightly. "I hope it was better than just different. Would you like to come back tomorrow?"

"I'd like that." she replied softly.

They made the rest of the trek to the house in a comfortable silence with John looking forward to what tomorrow might bring, for a change.

_A/N. This chapter may not have advanced the plot too much but I am going somewhere with this, we're just taking a short side trip with this chapter. Thank you again for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning John woke up and lay in bed, surprisingly comfortable for once, replaying the events of yesterday in his mind. It had been a great day but it'd also had it share of surprises. Riley's appearance had been a shock and Cameron's suspicion of her was wearing off on him. He had to admit she was right about the timing of Riley's arrival being suspicious considering they hadn't told anyone they were coming. Maybe he'd call Riley today and see if he couldn't figure out what was going on. For now, his stomach was rumbling so he got out of bed, dressed, and headed downstairs to find Cameron preparing breakfast. A plate of waffles and a carton of orange juice were already on the table along with a bottle of syrup and butter.

"Great idea, Cam." John said, plopping down into his seat. "I can't take any more pancakes right now."

"They are just the frozen waffles we bought yesterday. It is nothing special." Cameron replied, coming back over the table and taking a seat next to John.

"Yea well, frozen anything is better than day after day of pancakes. Plus, you made them, so that's pretty nice." John said through a mouthful of waffle. Cameron smiled slightly.

"What would you like to do today?" Cameron asked.

This probably wouldn't go over well. John's initial plan had been to call Riley and see what he could find out. He might have to meet her. The problem was it would be better to catch Riley off guard if Cameron wasn't around. But he couldn't see Cameron just accepting the fact that he would go alone. John stalled for time, taking an extra large bite of his waffle. Cameron just sat there patiently waiting for him to finish. _Should have known better than to try and outwait a Terminator. _He just decided to bite the bullet and get it out of the way. "Well, I thought I'd call Riley and see what's going on and why she's here after breakfast."

John could see Cameron gripping the edge of the table from where he sat and heard a slight groaning of the wood as the pressure increased. As usual, her face gave nothing away. Then as soon as it started, she had relaxed.

"I do not see the need for that. We are on vacation and you need to relax."

"Relax." John said dryly. "What did you call yesterday at any rate?"

"Monday." Cameron said, looking a little confused.

John shook his head. "Cam, I just need to do this and get it out of the way. I'm stressed enough as it is without worrying what else can go wrong."

"Girls cause teenage boys stress and you will see her when we go back home anyway." she replied.

John sighed inwardly. _I wonder if female terminators should be included in the girls category. Probably. Should have known this wouldn't be easy._ "Cameron, it's just for a little while, I'll take a weapon and I'll stay close."

She studied him closely before asking the question he knew would be coming. "May I go with you?"

John spoke hesitantly. "I don't think that would be a good idea. You two aren't exactly on the best of terms and if I want to find out what's going on, I need her to be able to drop her guard. She can't do that around you. "

"For good reason." Cameron said mostly to herself in her monotone voice but still loud enough for John to hear.

"Cam, seriously. It makes sense, right? It's logical and straightforward, surely you see that? It's a cyborg mindset more than anything else I've done."

This time John did really see the hurt flash through Cameron's eyes. It lingered there for an instant before being replaced with her usual deadpan expression. "Yes, I suppose it would make perfect sense to a cyborg. After all, we process only logic and reason. Emotions are pointless, because they are human characteristics, yes? We are just merely machines, correct?"

John could have kicked himself. One day into patching up his friendship with Cameron and he'd already screwed up. "No, no. Cam, that's not what I meant."

"I do not know why you would have said it if you did not. But, I'm just a cyborg and I don't understand human expressions and characteristics. That appears to be the opinion of the other inhabitants of this house as well." With that, Cameron got up and left the table. John heard her footsteps on the stairs a little louder than normal before her door slammed shut .

_Great, just great. She's developing some sense of emotions and one of the first ones is to get ticked off._ As much as John hated to do that to Cameron, he had to leave her for the moment. Hopefully when he got back, she'd have had some time to cool off.

"Quit slamming doors!" Derek yelled from his bedroom. "Ah, damn it. My head." he moaned. John stifled a laugh upon hearing his complaints getting louder as he came down the stairs. It sounded like Derek was getting acquainted with a hangover. A minute later, his uncle staggered into the kitchen, his eyes red and his appearance more disheveled than normal.

"Not a word." Derek said as he opened the freezer. Taking out one of the packages of still frozen waffles, he dropped into a chair and held the package against his head.

"Wouldn't dream of it." John replied. "Want some juice? Might be a good idea to put some non-alcoholic liquid into you for a change." he said as he pushed it towards him.

"Ha-ha." Derek said sarcastically, taking the carton of juice before carefully lifting it up and drinking directly from it.

"Derek! You may have come from the future but in this time period we drink out of a glass." Sarah said as she walked in and glared at him.

"Oh for crying out lo-" Derek started to say before stopping and wincing while holding his head. John noticed a slightly smug smile cross his mother's face.

"You know, you should be glad Cameron isn't around to see this. It'd probably be one of the few times she'd smile around you." Sarah said to Derek. Turning her attention to John, she continued. "Where is the Tin Miss anyway?"

"Upstairs. Didn't you hear her door slam?" John said heavily.

"Why would she slam her door?" Sarah asked narrowing her eyes.

"I think I made her upset earlier-" John started to say.

"John, she can't get upset. She-it...is...a....machine." Derek interrupted, wincing with each word. "Agh, my freaking head..."

"Derek, you know she's been acting different lately, more like a human and she's starting to show those feelings you keep denying she has." John bit out. "I'm really not sure who you're trying to convince. You've seen her. Just yesterday at the beach for starters. Anyway, you're just bitchy because you're hung over." John shot back, a bit of his temper beginning to show through. Derek just mumbled, gave John the finger, and slumped upon the table.

"Why is she upset, John?" his mother asked, her eyes starting to flash. "She doesn't get upset from what I've ever seen out of her. What's wrong?" Sarah didn't want to think of the bloody possibilities that could result from a moody terminator.

John really didn't want to have to go into much detail but his paranoid mother and uncle would surely get suspicious if he didn't. Deciding a partial truth would be better than an out and out lie, he spoke. "Riley showed up here. She's on a trip with her foster aunt."

John saw his mother stiffen before she spoke slowly. "It seems a little odd that she would show up now, especially since nobody told her we were coming. Right, John?" John nodded wordlessly. Sarah continued. "She seems to have a knack for being where she shouldn't be." she said edgily. John knew what his mother was referring to. Only several days ago, they had been robbed because Riley had been in John's room one night and had left without setting the alarm. The house had been broken into while John, Cameron, and Sarah were out. Needless to say, Sarah who wasn't fond of Riley to begin with, had other reasons to dislike her now. "Why would that make Cameron upset, John?" John was pretty sure that it wasn't so much of a question as a need to hear John's opinion on the matter, something he thought he had made clear the day before.

"I think you already know the answer, Mom. I told you she's developing emotions and it's obvious that she doesn't like Riley to begin with. I mean, Riley left the alarm off, endangered us, and almost cost Cameron her leather jacket for starters. Plus, she already sees Riley as a threat." John said, trying to avoid the underlying question in his mother's tone.

"I'll agree with you about the jacket part. She certainly has formed an attachment to it. A rather...extreme attachment. But that's not what I'm asking you, John." Sarah said as she stared her son down. "Why do you think Cameron sees Riley as a threat and a threat to what exactly?"

John sighed. _This certainly wasn't going to be easy. _"She probably just thinks Riley draws unwanted attention towards us. I mean, look what happened. Riley didn't leave the alarm off on purpose but it did have its consequences."

"Consequences." Sarah repeated, drawing the word out. John winced before his mother continued. "John, you know what I mean." Sarah's gaze bored directly into him. "I don't think Cameron sees Riley as a threat to you so much as a threat to her. Not a physical threat, I doubt she sees many people as that, certainly no one that isn't a terminator." John let his gaze drift down and his mother reached out and pushed his chin back up to her eye level. "Maybe you should actually think about her feelings, if that's what she's really developing."

This all seemed pretty surreal to John. He couldn't believe his mother was talking about his terminator protector having feelings. He pushed his mother's hand away from his face and tried to rein in his thoughts. "I know. It's just a hard thing to adjust to when all my life I've been told they are just soulless killing machines." He looked directly at his mother with his last words. Her face colored slightly but her eyes stayed on John.

"They are." Derek muttered, his head still nestled in his arms on the table.

Sarah ignored him and spoke to John. "Just do what you have to do and fix what you need to fix, John. Be smart about it, too. I'm serious." Sarah said as she stalked out of the room, a conflicted look upon her face.

John sat there in silence with only his thoughts and his bleary eyed uncle for company. _Just great, one day removed from things looking better and now it's back to this. _

Reaching into his pocket, John pulled out his cell phone and stared at the number pad. He just couldn't shake the fact that something didn't feel right about Riley being here. He had to focus on that right now. He wasn't sure he really wanted to do this but he felt that he should. John hadn't lived this long by ignoring his gut and he wasn't about to start ignoring it now. It just made it hard when his thoughts were occupied by a seemingly ticked off terminator upstairs. With a slight sinking in his stomach, he looked at his recently dialed numbers. Cameron's number was at the top of his list. Come to think of it, it was even odd that he had called her since she was always pretty close by, even if he couldn't see her. She was even his first speed dial number. Even subconsciously, she was always in his thoughts although they hadn't been the most friendly of thoughts the past few weeks. Pushing his muddled thoughts aside, he scrolled down until he found the last time he'd talked to Riley. Hitting the SEND button, he waited.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riley sat at the table, staring out the window of their rented house. Some trip this was. Her "foster aunt" Jesse had been following Derek around and had been doing surveillance on the Connor's house in LA when she had seen them packing up and getting ready to go somewhere. She had called Riley and in her usual brusque manner, ordered her to grab her go bag that she always had ready, and to meet her a block away from the Connors' residence. Once she had arrived, she learned they would be shadowing the "Baums" to see where they were off to in such a hurry.

_"Is it just me, or are they actually taking a vacation?" Jesse said snidely as she pulled onto a side street a block away from the beach house. Derek knew what he was doing, his driving was specifically tailored to shake off a tail. However, Jesse Flores knew Derek better than most people and knew his tricks of the trade. "They don't seem to be hunting any metal. I wonder what brought this on..." she mused. Riley knew exactly what. John's mom had been spooked after the break in. Riley felt genuinely bad about it but she wasn't about to tell Jesse that she might have inadvertently thrown a wrench into her plan of keeping tabs on John and his family._

_"Right, now listen." Jesse said, her voice becoming hard and steady as she got out of the Explorer and walked around to the side of the storefront they had parked at. "You will keep an eye on John. If you get a chance to approach him, do it. Don't make it seem obvious though. Try to make an accidental contact. We don't want him or..." Jesse's mouth crinkled in disgust, "_it _getting suspicious."_

Riley took another sip of her coffee and returned to staring out the window. Jesse had gone to the beach to see if John's uncle was there. She had already met him once on this trip and it seemed that Derek wasn't as committed as Jesse had originally thought. Riley suppressed a smirk at the thought. Here Jesse was telling her to use her charms and she wasn't having much luck convincing Derek. At least none that Jesse seemed willing to share. Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing beside her. Glancing at the caller ID, she smiled. _John..._ Hitting the send button, she spoke.

"Hello?"

"Riley, it's John."

Riley suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Of course it was John. She hadn't been in this time period long but at least she understood the concept of caller ID. "Hey John, how's the great family vacation going?"

"Riley, just humor me for a moment. Tell me something about me that only you might know."

Riley thought for a moment. "Well, you have a Lego robot that guards you throughout your dreams that someone totally awesome made you. How's that working out for you by the way?"

She detected a note of hesitation on the other end. Was something wrong? "Uh, yea. About that. I mean, that's right and all about me but Cameron...accidently smashed it. She can be kind of clumsy."

_I bet she can, yea right. _Riley thought. "Well, can't you just put it back together? Should be pretty easy, right?"

"You'd think so, but the damage was...pretty thorough." John said with a nervous laugh. "When she destroys something, she goes all out."

"I'm sure she does." Riley said with a fake laugh. John seemed to buy it and she could hear some of the tension bleeding out of his voice.

"So, anyway, I just thought maybe we could meet for lunch in a little while and talk. Things have been kind of crazy since I saw you last."

"Lunch? Sounds good. There's an outdoor cafe in that shopping center right off the beach right where I met you yesterday. How about we meet there in two hours?"

"Right, sounds good. Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you in awhile." John said before hanging up.

Riley stared at her phone thoughtfully for a few moments after John hung up. Something seemed a bit off, well more off, about John than normally. Well, she'd be on her guard. She couldn't fail in this. Jesse had made it clear that failure was not an option. She had come on a little too strong in the beginning of their friendship and she had been working on subtly backing off slightly. He had already wanted to meet her so something about that plan seemed to be working. Maybe a little hard to get wasn't so bad. Glancing at the time on her phone, she stood up and moved towards her room. She needed to get ready.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John pocketed his phone and turned around, jumping in fright when he nearly ran right into his mother.

"Mom! Geez, don't...don't do that." John tried to calm his heart. "Look, I'm meeting Riley in a little bit. Then...I thought I might take Cameron back to the beach. Since I upset her earlier, I should probably make it up to her." He looked to the side before saying quietly, "She really seemed to like it yesterday, I mean as much as she likes anything."

Sarah stared back, a slightly quizzical look on her face, proud that her son was showing some regard for someone besides himself for a change but still wishing it didn't have to be a machine, even one closer to a human than most. "Are you going on two dates today, John?" she asked with no trace of humor in her voice.

"What? No! Nothing like that. I'm just meeting Riley for lunch to see if I can't get something out of her. The whole thing doesn't feel right." John replied with a note of anxiety in his voice.

"Uh huh." Sarah dubiously replied, noting the lack of an excuse for his "second date". "And the beach?" she said, prodding a little more.

"You're the one who said I should think about someone else for a change. I was and have been an ass to her so I'm trying to make it up."

"Great." Sarah said as she brushed by John. "Let me know when it's my turn to be made up to."

John stood in the hallway, a little relieved that his mother hadn't forced the conversation any further. She's wasn't an idiot, that was for certain. Seems he had some making up to do with his mother sometime, as well. _Time to go talk to Cameron...._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John knocked on Cameron's door, a little hesitant. After all, this was the first time he'd done this. She was never in her room at home. There wasn't any reason for her to be. Her voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Cam, it's John. Can I come in?" Not that she didn't already know it was him. Derek certainly wouldn't come close to her unless it was a matter of life and death and Sarah generally chose to avoid her as well. _I guess she wasn't lying when she said it could be lonely to be her sometimes. That is, if she gets lonely. Why would she lie about that?_

There was silence from the other side of the door for a few seconds before she answered. "You can."

He opened the door and walked in and smiled a bit. Cameron had organized all of her stuff in such a methodical manner. He wondered why he had never thought too much about those kinds of things before. He looked at her and saw her blank face staring back at him. She wasn't going to make this easy.

"Cameron...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I think of you as a machine. I know we talked about this yesterday morning and I screwed up this morning. You've been trying harder than ever since the explosion and I guess I've been too wrapped up in myself to notice. This morning, I was out of line. I wasn't thinking."

She quietly sat on her bed and looked at him for a moment before speaking. "From what I can tell of human interactions, the fact that you weren't thinking is precisely what made it hurt. It would imply that would be how you really felt if you didn't have to think about it, yes?"

John winced. Her logic was sound and he couldn't argue with it. "Cam, would it help if I told you that humans say and do a lot of stupid things in their lives that we wish we could take back? That's not what I meant but I can see why you came to the conclusion you did." John thought briefly. "You're always trying to see how a human would do things, you're an infiltrator. A very good one. You fooled me at first and I thought I knew what I was supposed to be looking for. I guess I was trying to examine the situation from how you might process it. I did a pretty poor job of it and vastly underestimated you and your abilities." He came and sat down on the end of the bed, a little closer to her. "I didn't mean to insult you. I know you're still dealing with your emerging emotions and I didn't take that into consideration. Again, I'm sorry." John sat back and waited to see what would happen.

Cameron sat quietly in thought processing what John said. When she examined it through her CPU, she found errors in his logic but chose to ignore them. She instead focused on the information her new found feelings were presenting her with. All signs pointed to John being sincere. A quick scan of his facial features confirmed this. She nodded slowly. "I accept your apology. I am sorry for my reaction as well."

John leaned forward, relieved. "Tell you what. Would you like to come with me? You could go shopping while I meet Riley if you like. We'll be close and you'll be able to get to us if there is a problem."

Cameron frowned slightly. "You did not want me to go earlier."

"This is one of those times I was wrong and I'd like to try and make that up." John replied.

"Is there a gun store in the area?" Cameron asked.

"Umm...I don't recall seeing one." John managed to stutter out. _Sometimes, you just can't take the Terminator out of Cameron._

"Then I probably do not need to shop. If you wish, I could remain out of sight but close enough to intervene in case of attack."

_Wow, that's more than I thought she'd give._ "Maybe you could give me a few minutes to see what I can get out of her and then come join us. It might even throw Riley for a loop, who knows? Tell, you what, grab your beach stuff and we'll go there afterwards, how does that sound?" John smiled when Cameron's eyes flashed the faintest blue and she slowly nodded her head.

John went out in the hall and passed Derek going the other way towards his room. His uncle slapped him on the back as he went by.

"Have fun on your date, John." He said sneering in Cameron's direction.

Cameron tilted her head, seeming to analyze Derek. After a few moments, she stepped forward, smiled at Derek, and slapped him on the back. Derek froze, his eyes going wide before-

"AHHHH!!!! Freaking metal, what the hell?!" Derek doubled over in pain, arms reaching for his back, trying to rub it. John quickly steered Cameron down the hallway and out the door. John could hear his mother shouting at Derek to quit screaming.

"Cameron, what was that?" John said as he shut the door, trying to drown out his uncle's painful moans.

"It appears Derek does have a sunburn and that I was somewhat wrong yesterday."

"Wrong about what?" John asked warily.

"I would rather touch Derek after he burns. It presents a more satisfying outcome."

_A/N. Thanks for reading the latest installment. I hope you enjoyed it._


	8. Chapter 8

"Ok, let's go over the plan once more and please remember, no terminating anybody or anything unless you're certain it's a terminator or someone out to kill me," John said as he opened the jeep door and sat down.

"I have recorded the plan already. There is no need for me to go over it again. However, if you require your memory to be refreshed, I will listen. On your other instruction, I do not terminate anybody that is not a threat to you," Cameron said as she slid into the jeep and buckled her seat belt.

"Just humor me, Cam. I'm going to drop you off at one end of the strip mall. You can make your way down towards the cafe from there but give me some time first. Maybe Riley being here is just an odd coincidence but I'd rather not take the chance."

"The odds of it being a coincidence-"

"Cam, I know, but anything is possible."

"Is it?" Cameron asked.

John sighed and draped his arms over the steering wheel before turning to look at her. "Well, I'm sitting here talking to my protector from the from the year 2027 sent by my future self. She happens to be a cybernetic organism that is learning to be human. Also, did I mention that my father is currently about six years old? I'd say this also has a chance of being possible," John remarked dryly.

"Yes, I suppose anything is possible then," Cameron agreed. She looked over at John. "You should buckle your seat belt. Without it, the odds of surviving a car crash are much lower."

John rolled his eyes and started the car but he did buckle his seat belt. "Before we go too far, can you just promise me not to freak Riley out, at least not too much? It's effective but only to a certain degree. We need to keep her somewhat close until we can figure this out."

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Cameron stated.

"Well yea, something like that. Although I don't know if I'd consider Riley an enemy. Where did you learn that anyway?" Cameron started to speak before John cut her off. "Wait, never mind. You don't sleep, right?"

Cameron looked ahead before answering. "Yes."

Arriving at the mall fifteen minutes later, he took a quick glance around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Nodding once to Cameron, he watched as she got out of the car and walked around to his side.

"John..." she hesitated for a moment.

"Yea, Cam?" he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Be safe," she softly said. "There is a nine millimeter in the glove compartment."

"Don't you need that?" he asked.

"I brought a spare. There is an old Boy Scout manual at home. It said their motto is 'Be Prepared.' It is a good idea. You should adopt it in the future." With that, she turned and entered the mall.

A quizzical look passed across his face before he shook his head and put the jeep back in gear and headed towards the cafe.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Parking the car, he scouted out the patio area of the cafe. It didn't look like Riley was there yet. That distinctive curly blond hair was nowhere to be seen. Taking Cameron's advice, he opened the glove compartment and slipped the gun into his pocket. It was relatively crowded but not overly so. This was good. More cover and more people to disappear into if necessary. John sighed. Those fighting and evasion tactics would never go away, even if they did succeed in stopping Skynet. _I wonder what the normal people are doing today... _he thought as he took a seat, ordering a water while he waited.

As the minutes ticked by, he began to get a little edgy. Needless to say, sitting out in the open and alone wasn't exactly in the survival training course his life had been. He began to sweat slightly and was a little alarmed at how tense he felt. Normally it took a lot to rattle him but just like his mother, he was stretched pretty thin. Feeling a buzzing in his pocket, he frowned slightly and pulled out his phone. He flipped it open and saw a text message appear on the screen. _Don't worry. You're doing fine. Cameron._ He smiled at the message, re-reading it again and again. He couldn't see her but it did make him feel safer that she was around. _Safer? Is that all she makes you feel? You're an idiot, John Connor. She has feelings, you already ticked her off this morning. She tried talking to you about her feelings yesterday and you never followed up on that. _Mentally kicking himself for dropping the ball on that one again, he closed his phone and put it back in his pocket. Looking up, he saw a familiar head of blond hair weaving between tables. Riley made her way to where John sat and took a seat across from him.

"John! I'm glad you called," Riley said, smiling across the table. She looked towards the waiter approaching the table and ordered a Diet Coke.

"Not a problem," John replied guardedly. "So, how's your trip going so far? Having fun with your foster aunt?"

John thought he saw Riley's eye twitch slightly but it was gone too soon to be certain. "It's going pretty well. She went down to the beach earlier. I haven't been down there yet, I'll probably go meet her after lunch. I'm ready for some sun and fun."

John tried to dig a little deeper. "I don't think I've heard you mention your foster aunt before. What's she like?"

Riley drummed her fingers on the table edge, a faraway look in her eye. "She's sort of the person who's helped me along the past few months, I guess you could say. It's kind of hard being a foster kid and I don't know if she's like this with the other kids in the house but she's sort of always there for me." Riley took a sip of her drink that had just arrived. "She is pretty intense though. Think of a soccer mom times ten. She's like that in every part of her life." _If only you knew how intense she was_, Riley thought. She attempted to change the subject. "So, how's Cameron liking the beach and all? She doesn't exactly seem to be an outdoorsy or beach kind of girl."

"She seems to be enjoying herself, well as much as she enjoys anything." John replied. "She's never really been to the beach before, even living in California most of her life." John thought he saw a shadow cross Riley's face but it was gone just as fast as the earlier twitch.

"That's good for her, I guess. So, tell me. She's really not your sister, huh?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron walked down the sidewalk of the strip mall, eyes straight ahead. She had detected no threats in the immediate area, nothing more serious than a group of young adults thirty meters behind her, slightly intoxicated and causing a slight disturbance for others out enjoying the day. They certainly were no threat to her as they would discover if they attempted to stop her in her mission. Although if they did, she could try some of her new combat sub-routines that she had created that she had not had a chance to use yet. John had made her promise not to kill anybody but he did not say anything about injuries. It shouldn't be a problem if she made herself scarce afterwards.

She glanced into a store window as she passed, scanning the clothing modeled on the mannequins. She always took the opportunity to learn what she could about current events including fashion. John had told her on one occasion that she was the best dressed Terminator he'd ever met. She had not decided if it was sarcasm or not considering he'd only met a handful of them in this time and most had been trying to kill him. He probably would not have been paying much attention to what they were wearing. However, she had decided to take it as a compliment and use her emerging fashion sense as a tool to help her better understand humans. Subtlety could be a greater tool than brute force and most other Terminators had yet to learn that lesson. By blending in to a population, her role as an infiltrator was easier to manage as opposed to earlier models which relied on strength alone. The age group she was attempting to fit into took great stock in how they looked and she would have to follow along even though she did not understand how one looked determined a social pecking order. Humans could be so confusing sometimes. But John seemed to like what she chose and in truth she had begun to feel attachment to certain articles of clothing as well, especially her leather jacket, as the people who had robbed their house learned much to their last regret.

Rounding the corner, she spotted the cafe located several stores up ahead from her current location and noticed John was still seated alone. Riley had evidently not shown up yet. She could tell John was tense. She could see his eyes darting around nervously even from where she stood. She frowned. John needed to be alert but the tension could distract him. John had been trying to help her understand what she was feeling. Maybe now she could return the favor and try to reassure him. Things were better between them now and hopefully she could connect with him like she used to before the car bomb and Riley showed up. Pulling out her cell phone she input a quick text message to John. _Don't worry. You're doing fine. Cameron._ Pushing the SEND button, she peeked around the corner to where he still sat. John pulled out his cell phone and glanced at the message, giving a smile that Cameron could sense even from where she was. She didn't want to be away from him but she had promised to wait until Riley had shown up before she made her appearance. Besides, she could detect no threats in the immediate area so John would be safe enough for now.

Just then, her visual scanning routine alerted her to Riley's presence. She has set it up to monitor people that came into John's life often to see who might be appearing with more frequency than necessary. She had begun to deeply dislike it when Riley's alert was projected into her HUD. She felt slightly better knowing that John had begun to feel some suspicion towards Riley, mirroring her own feelings. Something...something just wasn't as it seemed with her. She slipped back around the corner, out of sight, to wait. Her processes initiated a five minute countdown. She peered around the corner, hidden in a shadow and watched Riley approach John. Riley sat down and immediately began to speak to John. Adjusting her audio sensors, she began to listen to the conversation.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There isn't much to it, Riley. Cameron's not my real sister." John said hoping that would be all the explanation Riley required. He doubted it and his fears were proven right when Riley didn't drop the subject.

"I mean, she just dropped into your life?" Riley asked.

"More or less." John said, thinking that was all too true. Hastily changing the subject, he spoke again, "Just look at us for instance, we don't really look too much alike."

"Yea well, you've been acting like squabbling siblings for the past few weeks so maybe I didn't put two and two together on that front. I just figured Cameron took after your dad or something."

John had to hide a smile at that. If his mother heard Riley compare anything about Cameron to Kyle Reese...well that particular show would be very gruesome to watch. Even more so if Derek happened to overhear. As if Sarah didn't already loathe Riley, this would put it over the top. Clearing his throat, he replied. "We've...we've had some issues come up lately but we're making progress."

"Progress," Riley replied thoughtfully. "I guess so. Not many guys would go shopping with their 'sister' if they weren't trying to make up for something." John thought he detected a note of skepticism in her voice and sought a way to steer the conversation away from that topic.

"Speaking of shopping, she's out right now doing some. I dropped her off before I came so she may join us a bit later." John said. T his time he did see Riley's mouth set into a thin line. So far that wasn't enough. Sure, she seemed annoyed but that could be because Cameron and he were spending time together that she thought she deserved.

"That sounds...good," Riley finished, her expression clearing stating that wasn't how she really felt. "A nice surprise." she said with her usual trace of sarcasm.

"Well, speaking of surprises, I have to say I was pretty surprised to see you here. Almost seemed like you were following us." John said with fake laugh while watching Riley's reaction.

Riley gave a rueful grin. "You wish, John Baum." John continued smiling but it had grown noticeably harder to conceal his growing irritation. Riley was dancing around the subject, much as he was trying to avoid talking too much about Cameron. _Anytime would be good now, Cam._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron had decided enough was enough even though she still had thirty seven seconds remaining on her countdown. She had started to make her way towards the table when a hand grabbed onto her arm. She turned, curious as to who might be intent on stopping her from getting to her charge. John might not be in mortal danger but whoever this was might be. Her eyes alighted upon one of the members of the group of young adults that she had seen earlier. He was tall, with gelled hair and a seemingly cocky attitude. The rest of his friends were close behind.

"Hey, hey. Why are you out alone? Pretty thing like you? Why don't you come with us?" he asked, flashing a grin at her.

Cameron stared down at the man's hand on her arm, debating how much of an injury she could cause without completely destroying him. He seemed to share many characteristics of people that John usually referred to as jerks.

"You should let me go," Cameron said in her monotone voice. "Alcohol makes people do stupid things." She stared directly into his eyes. "And this is one of those things."

"Is there a problem here?" She heard John's voice and turned around to see anger coursing through his eyes. She was surprised John had managed to close the distance between them rather quickly. Cameron had been the recipient of that look several times over the past few months and she was pleased it was not directed at her this time.

"Nah man, no problem, just find your own girl," The punk sneered back.

"I think you better take your hands off her," John replied hotly, taking a step closer.

"I think you better mind your own business, punk," the guy said, taking his free hand and pushing John's shoulder.

Cameron sensed that he was operating under a false sense of security probably from the intake of alcohol and having a slight height and weight differential over John. Cameron began processing her combat subroutines, closing those that ended in termination and went about selecting a non-lethal one. Before she had selected one that would cause all matter of pain, she saw John's fist making contact with her would be suitor's jaw. He went down with a thump.

Three of his friends stepped forward but slowed their pace at the terrible look on John's face. His eyes flashed dangerously, making them halt their advance completely. "Back off," John growled. Turning to Cameron, he asked. "Are you ok?"

Cameron glanced at the guy still on the ground and then back at John. "Yes, I believe it is time for lunch." John shook his head and gave her a disbelieving look. "Besides, you did not listen to me," Cameron continued. "I told you I prefer to do the hitting." John finally cracked a grin at that.

With a menacing glare reserved for the group still clustered around their fallen friend, John put his hand on the back of Cameron's shoulder and gently turned her around and began to make his way back toward the table. As they got to the table, John noticed Riley looking on with concern.

"John, is everything alright? Why did you hit that guy?"

"He was bothering Cameron," John bit out, anger still in his voice.

"Wow, guess I'll never make you mad." Riley stood on her tiptoes and peered over John's shoulder. "I think he's still out. You must have knocked him out cold."

"He should regain consciousness sometime within the next minute," Cameron replied. "Hopefully with some lessons learned."

"I guess so." Riley replied somewhat uneasily.

Cameron noted the table had only two chairs and that Riley and John were sitting across from each other. This was not acceptable. She walked over to the neighboring table and picked up a chair from there, placing it directly next to John with a thump. Taking a seat, she gave Riley one of her trademark stares and replaced it with a small smile when Riley directed her gaze elsewhere. She felt a small nudge in her side and looked to see John giving her a slightly reproachful look.

"John, you should put some ice on your hand. I appreciate the effort but you were more likely to break some fingers on his jaw than break his jaw with your fingers," Cameron said, taking John's hand and examining his scraped knuckles. She noticed his body temperature heat up rapidly upon her taking his hand in hers. Cameron heard Riley clearing her throat and looked up to catch her throwing an annoyed look in her direction.

"So Riley, what else are you doing while you're here?" John asked in an attempt to thaw the atmosphere that had settled between Riley and Cameron.

"I really don't know. Spur of the moment trip and all. Maybe I'll do some shopping." Riley saw John watching her closely and decided on a different tactic. "I'll probably go down to the beach, I'm sure there's lots of guys around. Cameron might have found herself a boyfriend if you hadn't knocked him out. I guess there's that protectiveness coming into play again." Cameron's eyes flashed briefly while John gritted his teeth, noticing that Cameron still held his hand. He gently extracted it, wincing as he did so. Maybe some ice would be a good idea.

"That man was not the kind of person I would want to be around." Cameron said stoically.

"I wouldn't want you around someone like that either, Cam," John said, stealing a glance at her and almost forgetting Riley was there.

"Ok, seriously, how about some food? You did invite ME to lunch, John." Riley interrupted pointedly.

"I guess I did." John said with a sigh. He didn't think he'd be too hungry this close to breakfast but a lot had already happened.

"Don't act like it's such a chore, Baum." Riley said with her trademark touch of sarcasm. "I'm a fairly cheap date."

John felt Cameron stiffen beside him. _This won't be good... _he thought.

"Yes, you are certainly cheap," Cameron replied.

Riley's mouth fell open in shock. "Excuse me?!" she sputtered angrily.

"I agreed with you. You tend not to go for the expensive items, hence you are cheap," Cameron explained, her monotone inflection returning.

John was trying so hard to keep his laughter in but could feel his shoulders shaking. He was looking straight down at the table in order to avoid looking at either Riley or Cameron. He didn't need to look up to know they were staring daggers at one another. John knew he had forbidden Cameron to terminate anyone that wasn't a threat to him but he had a feeling she knew just how much bodily injury she could inflict upon Riley before crossing the termination threshold.

"Ok, seriously. You both do this enough at home." John explained tiredly.

Riley gritted her teeth. So far, this wasn't going so well. She'd have to try a little harder. "You're right. Sorry, Cameron."

Cameron stared at her momentarily before catching another nudge from John. "I am sorry as well," she stated.

Riley didn't believe her for a second and briefly considered calling her out on it when she heard her phone buzzing in her purse. Taking her phone out, she looked at the caller ID. _Jesse..._

_A/N As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading._


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Ok, sorry for the delay. Computer was acting up some but it happens. Anyway, hope you enjoy this next chapter. _

Riley stared down at her phone. Of all the times Jesse had to call. She had to play this off. "Hey John, excuse me just a minute, I have to take this." With that, she got up and walked out of sight inside, hoping the background noise would cover any attempts by Cameron to overhear. "Jesse?"

"Who the hell else would be calling you?" Jesse's voice came out of the earpiece. Riley winced slightly. _Yup, that was Jesse._ "Where are you?"

"Out at a cafe, near the beach. With John and...Cameron," she finished slowly.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end before Jesse spoke up. "What is it doing there with him?" Riley winced again as Jesse's voice hissed angrily out of the speaker. "I thought you said you were working on him, that he didn't want it around anymore."

"I don't know. Before they left that's how things were. Something's happened. It's almost seems that he wants her around him now."

"It doesn't matter what has or hasn't happened. Get back to your job. This is your area of responsibility," Jesse spat out. "This whole mission is bigger than you. You know what she is and you know what the stakes are. Don't fail the mission and don't fail me. I'll meet up with you later." With that, Jesse hung up.

Riley looked at her phone and flipped it shut. Every day things seemed to get harder. When Jesse had come to her before in the future, she had been elated if not slightly skeptical the whole plan would work. But she couldn't pass up a chance to go back to a time where food wasn't obtained from garbage and dank tunnels were shelters. Plus, she could meet the legendary John Connor. Maybe even influence events that would end in a brighter future for herself, if not everyone else. Was she looking at it more from a selfish standpoint? Didn't John deserve a choice? Riley shook her head. John had made his choice already in the future. She had to see what she could in this time to change the future. Jesse was right. This mission was bigger than one person. She had to succeed in this and had to stick closer in order to be successful. John Connor had to be saved, even from himself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John sat at the table, idly flipping through the menu and running his finger down the list. "So, I know you don't need to eat but is anything on this looking good to you, Cam?"

Cameron took the proffered folder and scanned down the choices. Most contained items high in fat or sodium. John would inevitably choose one of them but once in a awhile wouldn't be too bad, they were on vacation after all. Plus, as she had told Sarah, nobody likes a nag. "I do not require much at this moment so I think I will skip on a meal, however I would share a dessert or appetizer if you want."

John looked thoughtful for a moment. "Tell you what, I'm hungry enough now so I think I'm getting a meal but I'll split a dessert with you, sound good?"

"Yes, sounds good, I think I would like some more ice cream," Cameron replied. "However, I am thirsty now." Taking John's water, she took a sip. John watched her drink. Her eyes went blank for a moment. "Riley is returning." John noticed that her voice had retained a slight hint of dissatisfaction upon pronouncing Riley's name.

He reached over and touched her arm. Cameron looked up at him. "It's ok, right?" he asked with a smile.

Cameron felt a warmth spreading through her. These moments had been increasing when John had paid her positive attention. She resolved to work to make these moments occur more frequently. "Yes, it is ok," she replied.

"Good," he said quietly as Riley arrived and sat back down. "Everything alright?"

"Fine," Riley said flashing a smile. "Just my foster aunt wanting to meet up later down on the beach."

"Sounds fun," John replied.

"Hopefully will be, I could use some, you know? Anyway, I'm starving now. Do you two know what you want to eat?"

"I think so, we might as well go ahead and order." John flagged down a passing waiter and relayed his order. "I'll have a hamburger and fries and she'll have a dish of ice cream ," John finished pointing at Cameron.

"He will also have a glass of ice as well," Cameron stated. "For your hand," Cameron added to John's questioning look.

"I'll just have the grilled chicken Caesar salad," Riley ordered and handed her menu to the waiter. "It's totally not fair that I'm eating a salad and Cameron gets ice cream."

John replied with a wry grin, "She has a really fast metabolism; she can get away with eating sweets more often, right Cam?" John gave her a meaningful look.

"Yes." Cameron seemed as if she was about to go into a more detailed explanation but decided the simplest answer is usually the best.

"Must be nice," Riley commented.

"Yes," Cameron simply responded. Silence fell over their table with John beginning to feel uncomfortable with Cameron simply staring at Riley. Luckily, their food arrived shortly, sparing any need for further conversation.

John sighed with satisfaction as he bit into his hamburger. Not the best food he'd ever had but anything was better than surviving on pancakes and turkey sandwiches. He nearly dropped his burger as a chill shot up his arm. He looked down at his free hand and saw Cameron had taken some of the ice and wrapped it in a napkin and was holding it to his hand. "Thanks, Cam." She smiled at him.

"You are welcome. It should help reduce any swelling and help with the ache." She studied John's plate for a moment before taking a fry off his plate and placing it in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing. "It is not as good as my ice cream. Since I took a fry, you may have some of mine." She held out a spoonful of ice cream to him with an expectant look.

John stared at her. That might be going too far at this point. He took the spoon from Cameron's hand, noticing her almost disappointed look before eating and handing it back. Bending close, he whispered, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she replied as she turned her attention back to her dish. John returned to his own food, lost in his own thoughts, most of which centered on the cyborg sitting next to him. _What is going on inside your head, Cam?_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron sat quietly, every now and then taking a bite of her rapidly melting ice cream. For the most part, she scanned the remainder of the patio which was slowly filling up with more customers. She observed families on vacation, groups of friends, and couples. Her interest lay mainly in the varied pairings, although she couldn't process a logical answer as to why she selected couples over the others. She watched and recorded how they interacted with each other. They held hands and the glances they shared seemed to have a deeper meaning beyond simple visual input. Cameron wondered if they felt different when they looked at the object of their affections. She felt different than how she had been before. Her processes had began to react differently to situations involving John and she was still not sure what to make of it. In her everyday existence, she had began to make choices that were not logical or based on her programming.

She had little frame of reference to use from the future regarding human relationships and her chances for observation at school had been limited due to her need to watch for threats for John. She had observed John and Riley on occasion and had to ignore prompts by her CPU to drag the blonde out the door by her hair fairly often. That would probably fall under the type of behavior that would "get them on the radar" as Sarah liked to say. However, even though she was a cyborg and didn't understand as much about human relationships as she wanted to, she still thought that John wasn't acting as he should in a relationship in which he truly cared about the other person. Did he even truly care about Riley? He had said that she, Cameron, meant a lot to him. John meant a lot to her too, something that seemed to go beyond her programming. Further analysis was needed. For now, she scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. Seeing Riley scowl in her direction, she felt a smile grow across her face. Riley's reaction was a nice bonus. She was enjoying her time with John and at the same time needling Riley. She felt strangely satisfied for annoying Riley after everything the girl had done to her and for her attempts at pulling John away. It was almost, if not better, than Derek's reaction to his sunburn. She looked at John, wondering what he was thinking.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riley moodily stabbed at her salad, throwing jealous glares every now and then at Cameron who seemed to be enjoying her ice cream with more gusto than would seem necessary. She had also caught onto Cameron's attempt to feed John. Her lip curled slightly. How twisted was that? Riley even began to think that Cameron was purposely baiting her. Two could play at that game.

Riley waited until everyone had just about finished before directing her gaze back towards John. "Thanks for lunch, John, it was great. I think I'm going to head over to the beach for awhile. Want to come with?" Riley flashed what she hoped was a playful smile towards Cameron. "Cameron, can I steal John away for a bit?"

Cameron immediately felt a surge of what she had felt yesterday in the dressing room come back over her. Making like she was reaching for her spoon, she knocked over John's glass of water, spilling its contents onto Riley. She shrieked and immediately stood up as the ice water soaked her shirt. "Oops." Cameron nonchalantly said.

John gave Cameron a look before switching his attention back to Riley. "Are you ok?"

"Fine, just ice water. No biggie." Riley said with a slight shiver and grimace. "But anyway, John, interested in coming along for a bit?"

Cameron chose that moment to speak up. "No, John is taking me. You may not steal him."

"I see." Riley frowned. This wasn't going too well. Time to throw out her last option. "Maybe we can all three hang out for a bit. What do you say? John, you'll get the chance to hang out with two gorgeous girls for the afternoon."

Both Cameron and Riley turned their attention on him. John suppressed a groan. He wasn't sure how he got himself involved in these situations. He looked from Riley's sparkling, blue eyes to Cameron's warm, brown ones. _I almost wish a Terminator would come along right now. They're always barging into my life when I don't want them around but a distraction sure would be nice right about now. _Looking at Cameron, he realized he hadn't even lumped her in with Terminators right then. Those thoughts were occurring more and more frequently.

Cameron seemed to sense his turmoil and dropped her hand beneath the table. She touched his sore hand gently and gave an almost imperceptible nod. John couldn't really believe that given a choice she would want this. _Wait, it's not that she wants Riley around, far from it...she wants me to be able to have that choice. She's letting me choose. _

John looked back at Riley. "Ok, Riley. _Cameron _and I will come hang out for a bit, but only for a little while," John replied making sure to emphasize the point that he wouldn't be alone with her. "We have some other things we need to take care of later."

"Fair enough, some time is better than none, right?" Riley replied, her upbeat persona returning. "I'll be right back, just heading to the restroom...to dry off." With that and a final glare at Cameron, she was up and heading towards the inside.

As soon as Riley had left, John quickly turned to Cameron. "Cam, I-"

"It is ok, John," she said as she lowered her eyes. "I understand the necessity of this. Riley is hiding something and you want to know what is."

"Well yea, there's that but-" John started to say.

"You also do not wish to wreck a possible friendship with her over something you're not sure about," Cameron continued.

"How'd you know that?" John asked, a little puzzled.

Cameron didn't answer for a moment. When she did, she raised her eyes back towards him. "You are John Connor. You see good where others don't always see it. Sometimes you see it when everyone else tells you differently. That is what helps make you a leader, you are hard but you are not cruel and you are always willing to take a chance on what you feel is right." She continued to stare at him, her brown eyes locking onto his green ones.

John held Cameron's gaze, his mouth a little dry. "Like you?" he whispered quietly. "Like when everyone told me you had gone bad but I still reactivated you?"

Cameron was quiet for a minute and John was worried he had somehow offended her by bringing up the harrowing details of his last birthday. Finally she spoke. "Yes, I was not myself earlier that day. You should have burned me when you had the chance." She rested her fingertips gently on his arm. "But I am glad you did not, although it was a terrible risk you took."

John sighed heavily. "I know, Cam; you've told me. But just as you believe in me, I believe in you too."

"You believe in the goodness of a machine?" Cameron questioned, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"In some, but in your case, I believe in the goodness of _you."_ John felt slightly foolish. This was probably the most heart to heart, well heart to power cell, chat he'd ever had with Cameron. He watched as a smile, a proper smile, slowly crossed her face.

"Thank you, John," she said quietly. At his questioning look, she finished. "For believing in me."

John sat there, enjoying the feather light touch of Cameron's fingers on his forearm. He was amazed at how soft her hands felt. Her gratitude meant more than he could show. With a wince, he moved the ice back to his hand. While he could sit there like this all day normally, his hand was still feeling the after effects of that punch. He idly wondered if the guy was still around and if so, whether he might make a run at him. Also, whether he might survive whatever Cameron would be sure to do to him.

"Hello? Earth to John?" Riley had appeared by the side of his chair, looking at Cameron's arm on John's. "You ok, Baum?"

"Fine, Riley. Ready to go?"

"Sure, let me grab my bag and we'll head down."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah leaned on the deck railing, staring out at the ocean. Besides the momentary blowup this morning, this had been a fairly peaceful trip so far. Sure, dragging a tipsy Derek across the sand wasn't her idea of a good time but at least it wasn't the first time she'd done it before so she'd had experience with it. Needless to say, Derek had become her default companion for most aspects of their life and mission. John was usually off with...Cameron and that left her with Derek. Derek wasn't too bad of a companion, he shared a lot of her opinions on machines in general, was determined to succeed in his mission, and was a very capable fighter as well as treasure trove of information about the future. He did have his rough spots, though. He was very hardened and didn't think too much about other people from time to time. He was incredibly strong-willed which caused issues when they didn't see eye to eye, and he still held some secrets. She had her secrets too but she held onto hers to protect John. _Protecting John_. She shook her head with that thought. That had seemed to fall towards Cameron more and more. Not just physically, either. Still, she tried to reason with herself that it was best that way. After all, nobody could protect John like Cameron could, right? Still, she knew that wasn't the only reason John liked having her around him. Sarah could tell that John had been opening up to Cameron more and more, like he had used to with her.

"So, you're the one who wanted to take this vacation so bad and it seems you're out here continuing the same train of thoughts you've had all along," Derek said, stepping outside and sliding the door shut behind him.

Sarah didn't answer for a moment. Derek stared at the back of her head, watching as a light breeze tossed her raven hair about. Finally, she spoke although she still had her back to him. "Always the same thoughts, no matter where we are."

Derek sighed. Sarah could harp all she wanted about wanting John to have a normal life. However, she could give him all the normal he could handle but if she didn't give any of it to herself, she'd soon break under the pressure and then she'd be no good to John. John had told Derek about their time with Charlie Dixon and that was the only time it seemed that either of them had a normal life ever since the first T-800 had come after Sarah in 1984...the one that had killed Kyle. Even if he thought the whole idea of a vacation was insane in the first place, he had to admit it had done some good, at least for John. Now it was Sarah's turn. "C'mon down to the beach with me."

Sarah finally turned around to face Derek. Derek noted a faraway look in her eyes and knew she needed some time to wind down. "Derek, I appreciate the effort but I've just got a lot on my mind."

"I know, that's precisely the reason you need to come down with me. Besides, you're the one who wanted to come here and I know you'll say it was for John but you need this too. Besides, John's with...Cameron," Derek said with a trace of distaste. "He's as safe as he can be and still have some freedom. The tin can will keep an eye on him. As much as I hate to admit it, she can protect him better from other metals. For the most part, she's bulletproof. We're not."

Sarah glanced back over her shoulder towards the beach. "Maybe you're right."

Derek hesitated for a moment and put a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "You're no good to us strung out like you are, you know that, right?"

Sarah sighed and looked at the deck between her feet for a moment before raising her eyes back up to meet Derek's. "I know. I think part of it is that I'm trying to let John discover who he is supposed to become but at the same time that knowledge pushes him away. It's a mother thing and I know he has to stand on his own but he's all I have. Plus, Cameron...I don't even know what to think about her."

"Well, you don't exactly have the same problems as most mothers of teenagers do, I'll agree with you on that. Kid's got a pretty good head on his shoulders overall though. I could do with less of the reliance on the metal but he's got to survive to become the future leader. She can help him do that."

Sarah shook her head slowly. "I know you're right about some things but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. But you're certainly right about my needing to take a break." Sarah took another glance at the ocean before continuing. "Let me go change and I'll meet you downstairs." Derek started to turn towards the door. "Oh, and Derek? I'm not dragging your drunk ass back across the beach again so leave the beer in the fridge."

Derek walked back into the house and smiled when he was out of sight. That sounded more like the Sarah Connor he knew.


	10. Chapter 10

"I certainly wasn't expecting you to agree with Riley coming along," John murmured to Cameron as they got up from the table, Riley being momentarily distracted with her bag.

Cameron scanned the parking lot before answering. "Know thy adversary. " With that she took a slight lead, leaving a confused John to hang back a bit to walk with Riley.

"Can I catch a ride with you, John?" Riley asked, walking out with them to the parking lot.

John glanced over at Riley's earnest face and decided it couldn't hurt. "Yea, sure."

"Great! Shotgun!" she squealed as she clung to John's arm.

"No," Cameron said, overhearing Riley's comment.

"No, what?" Riley asked, confused.

"Shotgun is John's. I have nine millimeter." Cameron stated.

Riley looked at John, confusion still evident on her face. "What?"

"Inside joke," John explained.

"Ok...well, I want in! What can I have?"

"Pellet gun." Cameron said.

"Pellet gun? Why do I only get that?" Riley asked in surprise.

"Because it is probably all you could handle," Cameron replied. "You have a weak grip."

Riley looked at John, a flush creeping up her neck and irritation mounting in her eyes. "So, let me get this straight. You get shotgun, she gets nine millimeter, and I get a pellet gun." John just shrugged. "Thanks a lot," Riley said sarcastically.

"You are welcome." Cameron replied. She held out her hand, palm up, to John. He looked at her with slight confusion. "Keys," Cameron clarified. "You have shotgun."

John handed the keys to Cameron and slid into the passenger seat. It seemed that Cameron had caught on the meaning behind their old joke. Riley got in behind him. Cameron frowned and tilted the mirror so she could see into the backseat. John rubbed his eyes and looked straight out the window and idly wondered, not for the first time, how to prevent the two of them from killing each other. Stealing a glance at his protector, he wondered, as he had so many times since he first met her, just how different she really was. Her sense of humor seemed to be improving. She had made John laugh more in the past two days than she had ever made him. Then again, nothing about his life was very funny. _It's crazy that it takes a cyborg from the future to make me feel normal, to make me laugh,_ John thought to himself, not for the first time. Of course, that wasn't completely true. He had almost six months of normalcy with Charlie and recently Riley had made him feel normal for the past few weeks but something had changed. John couldn't pinpoint when exactly it had happened but his gut had been giving him subtle nudges from almost the first day he met Riley. Then again, there had been Cameron's suspicion and treatment of Riley right from the first day he'd brought her home from school and her warning of knowing the adversary. _Her adversary? Or ours?_ _Was mom right? Does Cameron have...feelings?_ _If she does, she certainly doesn't care for Riley. Is she jealous?_ _She said Riley made her feel hurt inside. Is it because I was spending all that time with Riley before? Cameron told me she couldn't trust me after I reactivated her. It seems that she is more willing to trust now but I just can't screw this up and be back to square one. Cameron's...complicated. I can't believe I'm thinking this..._ He pondered a moment on the brief periods of normalcy he had experienced lately. Cameron seemed to want to spend more time with him than was necessary for his protection, that had to mean something, didn't it? He had to admit he had grown used to and even looked forward to spending time with his protector over the past few days, especially once he swallowed his pride and admitted his mistakes to her. It was easy for him with her since she didn't seem to judge him. But he knew she could feel hurt. He had seen that too much lately. He shook his head and looked out the window, all too aware of the uneasy silence that had come over the interior of the jeep as Cameron started the engine.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Derek paced around his bedroom, making sure he checked and double-checked his gun. Vacation was vacation but he didn't doubt for a second there was more metal out there and not just the one around his nephew. He wouldn't mind putting a few rounds in Cromartie but that particular Terminator seemed to have dropped off the map recently. He tucked his handgun into a side pouch on his cargo shorts and put them on over his swim trunks. Even though it wouldn't do much damage to a metal unless he hit the chip dead on, the familiar weight of the gun felt good. Plus, it would buy him a few seconds worth of distraction at best. Also, at least it didn't make him feel totally helpless. He felt naked without one and only wished he had a plasma rifle in this time. But he didn't and he had no idea how to make one. If...Cameron hadn't created one yet, they probably didn't have ability to make one now. A banging at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Reese! Let's go. You take longer to get ready than any of the women in this house. You only need to take one gun. Move it." Derek heard steps walking away from his door. He opened it, thinking..._women?_ _As in more than one?_ Another battle for another day. He met Sarah down in the living room and started off towards the beach. A tense silence had settled between them. Derek didn't think anything of it until Sarah spoke.

"So, I was heading down to the beach to meet you yesterday and it looked like you had made a new friend," Sarah commented casually.

"A new friend? I barely have any friends, at least any alive here that are older than ten right now," Derek said with a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"Maybe if you weren't so bitter all the time, it might be possible," Sarah shot back. "Be that as it may, I'm talking about that woman you were talking to on the beach."

Derek's heart rate picked up. "What woman?"

"Derek, don't play me for an idiot. Long dark hair, gold bikini sound familiar?" Sarah's eyes flashed. "You've been acting funny over the past few weeks. You're hardly ever around and when you are, it's only because one of us called you."

"I didn't realize I was so sought after," Derek replied sarcastically. "Besides, what's it to you if I have a girl friend anyway?"

Sarah stopped in her tracks and poked her finger in his chest. "You're one of the only people who are in this fight with us so you listen, Derek, and you listen good. We're the only ones who can stop this. I don't want to fight with you. Have a girlfriend, see if I care. If you don't want to tell me what's going on with you, that's fine but we can't do this if we're splintering. You were sent here for a reason, remember that." With that, she resumed her pace.

Derek stared after her. Besides the secret of being John's uncle, which Sarah still wasn't aware that he knew, Sarah had always been upfront with him. Even the secret of Kyle being John's father, Derek could understand why she had kept it from him. In a strange way, he appreciated it because it had also protected Kyle. At least in the future, or however he chose to think about it. Time travel could really mess with his head and sense of logic. Sarah kept her secrets and he had to keep this one. At least for now. But he did owe Sarah some explanation. He jogged after her. Catching up to her, he got in front of her to halt her advance.

"Ok, you made your point." Derek ran his hand over the back of his head. "You've probably noticed, I'm not too good at expressing my feelings or emotions." Sarah made a noise of disbelief. "Ok, I'm REALLY not good at expressing my feelings or emotions. The point is, things are still pretty confusing for me. One day I'm in the future fighting just to survive and the next I'm fighting alongside a woman who my brother was sent back to protect and her son, who happens to be my commander in the future. It's pretty hard to deal with. I guess, I wanted to feel something normal for once." Seeing Sarah's face begin to redden, Derek quickly cut her off. "Look, I know things are much worse for you. You can't live a normal life, no matter what you do. I understand that, really I do." Derek grew quiet. "I've lived through Skynet's attempt to nuke the human race off the face of the planet. A large part of me died that day. Coming back here has revived part of it. Seeing the blue sky, feeling the grass between my toes, the wind on my face, the smell...the smell of something besides dust, death, and decay. It's intoxicating." Derek paused for a moment, wrestling with his thoughts before simply settling for saying, "I've been pretty selfish lately." Derek turned away and looked at the ocean in the distance. "Our mission is what's important. John is what's important. This is nice, those everyday distractions but I don't lose focus on the mission," Derek finished as he brought his gaze back to Sarah.

Sarah stood still for a moment, shell-shocked at the emotions that had came from the hardened solider but also intrigued at the different side of Derek Reese that she hadn't seen before. Whatever it was, it was better than him stomping around, swearing at Cameron all the time. He still hadn't explained who that woman was but she couldn't fault him for that at the moment. She never really thought about how much adjusting it would take to get used to a world such as this one. Derek had once spent twenty minutes brushing his teeth one day with her toothbrush and he regarded hot showers as the ultimate in relaxation. Just things that even she took for granted were a luxury in the future. It was funny when she thought about it. So many people complained about the world they lived in; jobs, commutes, other people. Derek Reese and others from the future would trade places in a heartbeat, no questions asked. They wouldn't have to live day to day, fighting against a merciless, unwavering enemy. It made her wonder how fast people were able to adapt to a new, harsh reality after Judgment Day. How many just gave up? And how many others were like Derek and Kyle, refusing to acquiesce to Skynet but to keep fighting, day in and day out? Kyle and now Derek after him had become one of the key components in taking the fight to Skynet in this time. Their humanity, the survivors' humanity, is what would enable them to claim victory. Humanity's cause, led by her son, protected by one of the enemy's creations. The irony of it all.

"Sarah? You ok?" Derek waved a hand in front of her face, a slight smirk on his face.

Sarah blinked and regained her composure. "Fine, let's keep going." They walked in a silence a moment longer before she spoke again. "John said he was coming here with Cameron later."

Derek let a small groan out. "At least we'll be able to spot them by the sun glinting off the metal." Turning to Sarah, he saw a small smile cross her face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron put the jeep in park and turned off the engine. It was curious, John had not been able to get much of a word in with Riley talking so much. She could sense John's annoyance growing and found that it pleased her. She had thought before she might have to do something about Riley. John had forbidden her to terminate anyone that wasn't going to kill him but as John had told her on more than one occasion, she had a knack for freaking people out. However, Riley's talkative nature seemed to be slowly annoying John; getting on his nerves as he had told a few weeks ago one time after Riley had left. She didn't understand how Riley could get on John's nerves since they were small and inside him but she supposed it was another human expression that didn't make logical sense. She found it was best to nod at those statements and research them later. She wondered what they would do at the beach with Riley there. She had experienced a degree of what John called "fun" the last time they had come and was looking to experience more for further analysis to aid in her infiltrator role. However, she wasn't sure how much fun she would have with Riley there. She did not wish to play Frisbee with Riley. She wished to use Riley as a Frisbee, but John would probably not allow that. Still, she would monitor his mood. He might change his mind. She looked at Riley's fair skin and deduced that she would probably burn in the hot sun without a sufficient sun block. Cameron calculated the strength of the sunscreen that she had seen poking out of Riley's bag and looked towards the sun riding high in the sky. She smiled. Riley would burn.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Meet you down there, John! Just going to go change," Riley called as she headed towards the changing rooms.

"Yea, sure. I'll see you down there." John gave a half-hearted wave. Reaching into the back of the jeep, he pulled out his bag with his towel and swim suit and headed towards the men's changing room. Looking back, he saw Cameron eyeing Riley's back with a look akin to distaste. Seeing John's slightly reproachful look, she adopted a look of innocence. "You know, you're getting pretty good with your expressions," John said as he looked at her. "Almost had me fooled."

Cameron looked back at him. "I've fooled you before."

"Yea, several times if I remember the count right. I'm working on that." John shook his head. "Alright, I'll meet you back out here in a minute, ok? Try not to freak Riley out."

"It is Riley's choice whether or not I freak her out or not. I cannot be responsible for her reactions," Cameron replied.

"Cam, just...just don't go out of your way to get to her."

"It is not out of my way."

"Just...just go change." John walked away, hoping she would listen to him. Well, she always listened to him, she just didn't always do what he said.

Cameron entered the changing room and zeroed in on Riley's location. She had no real desire to be near her and she was 94.724 percent sure that Riley had no real interest in being around her. She supposed that had to do with being called cheap and having a glass of water knocked over her at lunch. She chose a locker in the next row from where Riley was currently changing. After a quick scan of the area, she determined there were no threats in the vicinity. Opening up her bag, she pulled out her two swimsuits and methodically laid them next to each other, conducting a brief overlay of both of them. As she had told John yesterday, it was good to have variety. She stood there for several moments, intently running comparison scans. Even as short as a few weeks ago, she would not have spent so much time on her outfits. She couldn't really understand what had changed. Now her processes urged her to consider many factors when choosing her daily wear. For instance if she had known that if it was cold outside, she should dress in warmer clothes in order to blend in. Likewise, if it was warm, she would dress in short sleeves. Now, she took into consideration how others dressed in terms of fashion. She had also developed favorite articles of clothing such as her leather jacket and dark jeans. Part of it aided in her infiltration tactics and part of it satisfied her curiosity about human society. The most notable change is that she often ran an analysis on what she thought John might like and made adjustments to her files based on her observations. She had made mistakes though. Sarah Connor had drilled into her that just wearing underwear around the house was not appropriate, especially around John. Cameron had told Sarah later she was just trying to save on doing laundry. It was efficient after all. Sarah had not seemed to believe her. Cameron reflected on this as she scanned the bikinis in front of her once again. She snapped her head around at a sudden sound and saw a blond head whip back around the corner.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Riley peeked around the corner. Cameron was still standing there, just staring at her bikinis in an almost unnerving fashion. It was really starting to creep her out. But this might be an opportunity to bend John's ear a little if she wasn't around. Grabbing her towel off the bench, she winced as her bottle of sunscreen rolled off the towel and landed with a soft thud on the floor. Hurriedly, she picked it up and moved towards the mirror near the door. Giving a quick glance over her red and white bikini, she smoothed her hair back and exited. Coming out, she saw John loitering nearby, his back against the wall, his eyes moving every which way. He smiled at her which immediately cheered Riley although she noticed it did not quite reach his eyes. He'd been moody lately; the last time she'd really seen him smile was after she proved to him what a "brave, spooky ninja" she was after getting rid of that blond man at his house who had been looking for Cameron. Time to change that. "This is the second time in two days, I've caught you outside a changing room, John. What is it with you and that?" Riley said with a wink, trying to get a laugh or something out of John. Her efforts were rewarded with a small grin that looked genuine before it disappeared from his face. Riley continued, a bit more cheery. "See, aren't you glad you're here now? Finally we can have some fun, right? Away from life, problems, school...well, not that you go anymore. But still."

"Never said I wasn't happy to be on vacation. Trust me though, my problems don't really go away," John said.

"Sorry, Mr. Mood-kill," Riley responded sarcastically. "Today is your lucky day, you get to spend the afternoon with 'Lucky' Riley Dawson."

"I thought we decided it should be the other way around, Riley 'Lucky' Dawson." John replied.

"Whatever. The point is, you're lucky now," Riley said with a smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John had been listening to Riley while keeping one eye out for Cameron. He was somewhat relieved that Riley had come out before her, meaning that Cameron hadn't caused any permanent problems. He thought back on what Cameron had said before they left the cafe, about not wanting to wreck a friendship for no reason. Cameron was right and perhaps she understood him better than he thought, certainly more than he'd given her credit for recently. Looking over Riley's shoulder, he saw the door to the changing room open and saw Cameron step out. He only vaguely heard Riley's last remark and in his mind, he responded, _I think I already am._

Cameron walked up behind Riley, wearing her new dark green bikini. John had only seen it on the rack at the store. Privately, he admitted it looked much, much better on Cameron. Judging by the small smile on Cameron's face, he thought she had probably figured out what he had been thinking.

"Ready to walk down?" Cameron asked, standing right behind Riley.

Riley jumped, startled and swung around. Seeing Cameron, she took a quick step back, a minute scowl crossed her face at being interrupted before forcing a smile back on her face. "Cameron, you scared me."

"I know," Cameron responded simply, her face a blank mask again.

Riley looked at John with an uneasy gaze. "She's really good at hiding her emotions, isn't she?"

Cameron looked at both John and Riley. "Yes, it is my scary robot impression," she said. When Riley turned around to start walking, she missed the wink that Cameron shot John.

John's eyes went wide before shaking his head slowly before Riley seized his arm and began dragging him down towards the beach. Cameron took up a place on his right side walking in a manner that to John's relief, didn't suggest she was his bodyguard. Even though he was having to placate both his human friend and his cyborg...well, he wasn't sure what to call Cameron exactly yet. She was more than his friend, he knew that much but wasn't sure what else to call her. He was half listening to Riley talk about what she'd been doing lately when a soft touch on his right arm made him glance at the brunette currently occupying his thoughts.

"You shouldn't be worrying about anything," she said softly. "We're on vacation."

"Force of habit," John replied, a slight grimace on his face.

Cameron was quiet for a moment, the only sounds besides Riley talking was the slight crunching of the sand under their feet and the call of seabirds circling in the sky. "I won't let anything bad happen to you," she said at last.

John glanced over at her and wondered what he did to deserve such devotion. He felt that she meant those words and not just because of her programming. He was lucky in that way. That thought made him smile. Maybe now he could focus on this vacation and enjoy it. Maybe the three of them could enjoy the day together without too many issues. Maybe...John shook his head. Maybe he really was nuts to think that.

_A/N: Ok, this chapter isn't the best but I felt the need to set up for the next few chapters a bit. I switched some things up from how I initially planned it and moved some events around in my outline so I had to re-plot out some aspects of the story. That's one reason it's been longer than I would have liked to have this updated. I hope all the point of view switches didn't distract too much. Anyway, thanks for coming back and reading the latest installment._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Wow, it's been longer than usual, huh? Sorry about that. I don't know what it has been this month with work and all my free time vanishing. Anyway, thank you for your patience and for coming back to read the next chapter. I hope it's enjoyable!_

Cameron walked forward, her finely tuned audio sensors ignoring Riley's voice. She had noticed that she had begun to develop preferences, starting with little things like her wardrobe. Lately she had begun to notice that it was affecting other aspects of her daily routine. She preferred to be around John. This was nothing new since in the past it had been easier to protect him if he was in sight. However, lately she had been observing that even in places of relative safety such as their house, she preferred to be in John's company. John was the only one that seemed to care in any regard about her well being and in the past few weeks she had begun to feel what humans seemed to classify as loneliness. Things were better now. She did not want to upset the balance again but an obstacle still presented itself.

Cameron strongly did not want to be around Riley. The blonde had distracted John from his mission over the past few weeks. That was unacceptable. Riley did not need to be around. However, Cameron had observed humans having to compromise in order to get along. It was a concept that she had not been familiar with before living with John and Sarah. She had followed her programming, nothing more, nothing less. Now, things were different. _She_ was different. She could ignore her programming if she wished. It was still very beneficial as a reference but she found that she was curious about her decision making abilities. As time went along, Cameron had learned that John was incredibly strong-willed and would not do everything that was expected of him. Her programming did not allow for her to force him to do anything so she had taken the opportunity to research human psychology thoroughly. Even though she was a cyborg, she supposed she would have to adapt. John did not want her to simply get rid of Riley even though she had mentioned to him before that it would not be a bother to her, nor would it be any real trouble. John had declined her offer. She understood that being John Connor could be lonely and that he wanted to have friends. He would have many friends in the future, many people would depend on him. Perhaps he just wanted a simple friendship now that didn't depend on him saving mankind. Still, she could think of other people that John could be friends with. What had been wrong with Morris? She resolved to analyze this further at a later time. Her CPU would have much to process at the rate this trip was going. Taking a few steps further, she halted at the same moment as John, dropping her bag in the sand. Riley bumped into her from behind, causing a flash of irritation to run through her. She quickly set up a process in her CPU and labeled it, 'Riley glare.' It quickly allowed her facial features to set into one of her best blank looks complete with hostile stare, only slightly different than the one that she usually reserved for Derek. The way this day was going it would be more efficient to have it handy. Accessing the program, she initiated it. Turning around, she was pleased to see Riley shrink back slightly. She did enjoy acting and learning like a human but sometimes the efficiency of a cyborg won out.

"This area should be sufficient," she said as she scanned the throngs around them, her eyes missing nothing. John dropped his bag beside hers, taking a few steps around her and scanned the beach, his eyes wary. His eyes caught Cameron's worried face before she started to take a step towards him.

"Hey, put a smile on, John. The sun's out, let's have some fun," Riley said, cutting across her path to John and linking her arm through his. Cameron glared at Riley's back and had to suppress the urge to shove Riley face first into the sand. She ran a brief analysis weighing the pros and cons of the action. After compiling the list and finding nine pros for her, including that she would enjoy seeing Riley pick sand out of her teeth for the rest of the day, she had to consider the one con; John would not be happy. She cancelled the list, feeling a slight twinge in her. John being unhappy did not sit well with her. She would have to handle her confusion with her emotions on her own. Perhaps John would help her later.

"Anyway..." Riley drawled out, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had nearly brought Cameron's wrath up on her. "John, I'm going to burn up out here. Rub some sunscreen on me?" she asked, holding up her tube of sunscreen. " I'll get Cameron while you get me," she said flashing a smile at John.

"No." Cameron said.

"Now what are you rejecting?" Riley muttered, mainly to herself but Cameron caught it anyway.

"I don't want you putting sunscreen on me. John can do it," Cameron replied stoically.

"Oh, come on Cam, we're all friends." Riley said, her tone betraying her words. Cameron just stared at her, not saying a word.

"Riley, she's just...never mind. Look, I'll get Cameron. Get what you can, then I'll get your back." Cameron went to her bag and pulled out her own bottle of sunscreen and handed it to John.

Riley sat down on her towel, muttering to herself while she watched John rub the sunscreen on Cameron's back and shoulders, seeming to linger longer than she thought was necessary before dipping his head close to her ear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Ok, want to tell me what that was all about?" John murmured to Cameron, still rubbing the sunscreen distractedly on her shoulders.

"What what was about?" she replied.

"You not wanting Riley to put sunscreen on you. Looks kind of odd, you know? I know you don't like her but we really don't need more attention brought down on us."

Cameron turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him, studying him for a moment before replying. "I would just rather you do it."

John blushed and focused back on the task at hand. Doing so, he couldn't help but notice Cameron's flawless skin. She hadn't been in any fights recently, besides the one that had occurred with the Terminator at Dr. Sherman's office. She had come home looking slightly worse for wear, but her injuries had healed and she looked her usual, if not slightly emotionless, self. Thinking back on that, John thought about how Cameron had protected him all this time and he hadn't even thanked her for anything that she had done for him. He started to open his mouth before Riley's voice called to him from her position on the sand.

"Hey John, how deep do you want to rub that sunscreen in? I think she's pretty well protected," she said, her voice carrying a twinge of sarcasm.

"You really have no idea," John muttered to himself. Cameron took the bottle of sunscreen from him and began to rub it on his back, efficiently working it in. She was quickly tiring of Riley being around John. Her visual sensors picked up two children, one male and one female covering an adult man, with sand while he was sleeping.

"John, what are they doing?" she whispered towards John.

"Who? Those kids? They're just covering their dad with sand. It's just something kids do to have fun and play around with," John explained.

Cameron was quiet a moment. "Can we bury Riley in the sand?"

John sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, leaving a smudge of sunscreen on it. "What does that mean and exactly how much sand would be involved?"

"She would be alive if that is what you are asking."

"Not exactly answering the question, Cam. How long would she be covered?"

"That depends on how fast she can dig out," Cameron replied calmly.

John let a small grin slip out of the corner of his mouth. It wasn't much but it was enough for Cameron to catch it. She felt the familiar warmth spread through her as it did every time when John would smile at her. She had finished rubbing the sunscreen on John but did not make a move to remove her hand from his shoulder until Riley's voice interrupted them.

"Anyway, you finished there, Baum? I can already feel my skin beginning to toast. I don't want to burn."

"It would take you longer than the five minutes we have been out here to burn," Cameron said, looking towards the ocean. "Even if you did, it would be a relatively minor one."

"She's certainly an up person, isn't she?" Riley remarked wryly, handing her own bottle to John all the while noticing Cameron watching her closely. She hid a smirk, knowing that she was getting at least a small measure of revenge on Cameron for everything earlier. She languidly stretched her arms above her, flashing a small smile at Cameron, not bothering to hide this one. This one she wanted Cameron to see. Even though getting close to John was her mission, she had to admit that she felt drawn to John. Maybe a degree of it came from the hero worship in the future. He was John Connor, the salvation of the human race. She was just a tunnel rat, scrounging for food everyday and praying the machines didn't come down upon them. She had seen John once in the future, making his rounds among the various resistance bunkers. Even from a distance, she had seen his cool, collective demeanor. His confidant gait and the way he spoke had raised the spirits of all those he had passed. After he had walked away, she had noticed the slim brunette that walked behind him, her lithe steps garnering attention from the other tunnel rats. She had wondered who this person was that walked so close to John Connor. The brunette's gaze had been like a merciless predator, watching everyone with a wariness that was unsettling. She had never set that gaze upon Riley but she could see the effect it had on those who came close to Connor. It was the same gaze that Riley found herself on the receiving end now for the first time. Although she felt safe with John here, Riley wondered exactly how far Cameron would take the protector role. Cameron wouldn't do anything here, would she? John's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Ok, all done. So, what do you want to do?" John asked Riley.

"Tan, man. I need some color," Riley said putting her sunglasses on and laying down. "Come join me."

John reluctantly lay his towel out next to RIley and lay down. He briefly closed his eyes and opened them to see Cameron standing over him looking down.

"Too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer," Cameron stated.

"If you watched the news, lots of things can cause cancer," Riley said. "I'm getting some color. I need it."

Cameron cocked her head and looked over at Riley. "Yes, your skin is pale. Most males prefer females to have some slight degree of tanned skin."

"Thanks," Riley said sarcastically. "Anymore compliments you want to throw my way?"

"Yes, I like your swim suit. The red and white stripes make you look like a candy cane."

Riley pulled off her sunglasses and glared at the brunette and focused it on John when she heard him beginning to snicker. "Glad you think she's hilarious, John."

"Ok, maybe it wasn't that funny, but it's funny for her. She normally doesn't make jokes."

"I'm glad I could bring out the comedian in her," Riley replied icily.

Cameron chose that moment to speak up again, "I like candy canes."

John's shoulders were shaking and he had rolled over to his bag, pretending to look for something while trying to disguise his silent laughter. Something about Cameron's tone coupled with the Riley's gaping mouth left him desperately trying to maintain his composure.

"You're not exactly helping John," Riley said, crossly.

"Ok, ok. No harm, no foul. Cam, ease up, ok?" John hesitantly lay back down and noticed Cameron sitting next to him, still looking around, while Riley grumbled a bit and settled back on her towel. _Cameron is_ _always looking out for me and never asking anything in return. It's not just her programming either. If that was the case, she'd have me barricaded in my room twenty-four/seven. Why didn't I see it before? Oh wait, it's because I was being selfish and thinking only of myself. Not only that, I've been listening to my mother for so long that I automatically assumed Cameron would be like all other Terminators. She's not. Even Uncle Bob was different. Not in the same manner as Cameron but different enough to make his own choices, especially...especially at the end. Cameron makes her own choices and decisions and lately they don't seem to be based purely on logic, she takes her time and seems to weigh her options. She should get a slight break._ Reaching over, John hesitated for a moment before putting his hand on Cameron's shoulder and gently pulling her down so she lay next to him in a reclining position on her towel. "Why don't you take a rest?" he said.

"I don't need to rest."

John looked over at Riley who appeared to have her eyes closed under her sunglasses. "I'd like you to."

Cameron looked at him, her gaze resting on him before nodding once. She lay her head back and lay next to John, her sensors compiling data. They registered the wind blowing across her body and the sun beating down on her synthetic skin. Her audio sensors picked up the waves coming in and her olfactory sensors registered the slight smell of salt in the air. These all passed through her processes and she noted them but let them be filed away without further notice. She lay there for fourteen minutes and thirty seven seconds, or fifteen minutes as John would say. Things seemed safe for now.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jesse lowered her camera and detached the zoom lens and stared across the dune as John, Riley, and the metal spread their towels out and lay on the sand. This was supposed to be purely a reconnaissance mission. However, she was wondering if she'd ever get a chance to take out the metal. She had wanted to be the one to do it so badly but she was a realistic person. In this time period, there weren't many weapons that were easy to get a hold of that were capable of taking out a Terminator. But, there were other ways. She had tried to convince Derek of the danger that the brunette Terminator posed. She thought she had him but since this beach trip happened, she hadn't been so sure. Riley wasn't faring particularly well in her attempts to seduce John either. She couldn't understand Connor's reasoning. He knew that machines would attempt to destroy the world but yet he couldn't or wouldn't let this one out of his sight. That would be a problem. She set her camera down on the table beside her and stared out at the horizon. The ocean had always held such wonder for her. Growing up in Australia had given her an immense love of nature, especially the water. But that joy was short lived. Although her homeland wasn't infested by machines like this place would become, they had still tainted it. _Machines, _she thought as she clenched her hand into a fist. Machines like that one laying on that beach next to the future savior of mankind. Machines had taken everything from her and she would do whatever it took to get it back. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind and continued her surveillance, so intent on her target that she failed to notice that she had picked up an observer of her own.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cameron sat up and looked around. Her scans revealed nothing in the near proximity to be a threat but she still felt like she was being watched. John had explained the feeling to her before but she had never experienced it before now. She didn't feel right, the warm feeling she had when John was near her was gone even though he was right beside her, dozing in the warm sun. She was glad he was relaxed, something that she found curious in itself, being able to be glad and feel emotions, both positive and negative. John had helped her develop, in more ways than even he know. She looked again, pausing when her visual scanning recognition alerted her to two familiar faces approaching. She enhanced her vision and picked out Sarah Connor and Derek Reese approaching. It was curious that while they looked around, they didn't seem too worried about finding them. Cameron was not concerned. While Sarah and Derek were helpful if not sometimes slight hostile allies, she was more than capable of protecting John on her own. But then again, as she had told John, it was nice to have help. Plus Sarah had been less hostile to her lately, so it made it easier on her with her growing awareness if she was treated better. Derek had been his normal self towards her for the most part but she knew he was set in his ways. She made no move to alert them to their location but simply marked where they set up their chairs in case they did need something or John wished to see them. She looked over to see John had sat up and was watching her.

"What are you doing?"

"Just watching for threats," Cameron said in a low voice, mindful of Riley on John's other side.

"Uh huh. Anything coming?"

"Your mother and Derek have arrived and set up a position fifty five meters away."

"What are they doing?" John asked, leaning back and tilting his chin up, allowing the sun to warm his face.

"They are merely talking. Your mother seems to have relaxed slightly. Derek is saying something that has made her laugh. He has picked up the bottle of sunscreen and has moved closer to Sarah..."

John sat up in alarm. "Stop, just stop right there. I really don't want to hear any more."

"He probably wants to make sure she is protected from the ultra-violet rays. It is best to rub the sunscreen in deep into the skin. He seems to be doing a sufficient job."

John shuddered and looked at her for a moment. "I don't think that's the only reason he's doing it and I'd really like to stop talking about this now."

"Why?"

"You really wouldn't understand, please drop it."

"If you wish."

John looked over at Riley as she gave a small yawn. She smiled and looked over at him. "Not a bad day for a nap in the sun. I'm ready for some fun, how about it?" Riley rolled over and stood on her toes looking across the beach. "Hey, there's a volleyball game in progress over there. Looks like some peeps our age too. Let's go over and see if we can join." She grabbed John's hand and pulled him to his feet. Cameron quickly got to her feet and placed herself at John's side. Riley rolled her eyes at her and strode away, calling over her shoulder, "C'mon, what are you waiting for?"

Cameron walked beside John. "What is volleyball?

"Just a game, really. Actually it might be kind of fun. Nothing dangerous about a volleyball. Maybe if you watch a bit when we get there, you'll pick up on it. Just try not to hurt someone."

"Does someone include Riley?"

"Yes, Cam. That includes Riley too."

The three of them made their way over to a makeshift court where six girls and three guys were hitting the ball back and forth.

"Well, look who it is."

John snapped his head towards the speaker and uttered a small groan. It was the raven haired girl from yesterday that Cameron had given a sand bath to.

Riley cocked an eyebrow. "Friends of yours, John?"

"Not really," John muttered back. "Just some people that Cameron had an altercation with yesterday."

"No!" Riley feigned shock. "I can't imagine that." With a small shrug, she continued. "I'm sure she was just watching out for you. Girls in bikinis tend to make guys do stupid stuff." She directed her attention to the girl who had spoken. "Need a few extras?"

The raven haired girl looked over them, lingering on Cameron with a slight bit of distaste before nodding. "Sure, we can go six on six." She glanced back at John. "I'm Melissa."

"Riley, John, and Cameron." Riley answered for them pointing at each in turn. "What say we get going?"

"Should be fun, right Cam?" John asked, forcing a smile to his face. Actually, it probably would be fun.

"Yes, fun."


	12. Chapter 12

_Sigh, another long while since updating. I haven't even gotten much of a chance to read and review other stories on the site lately so I'll hopefully get to catch up on some other great TSCC fanfiction over the Thanksgiving vacation. Anyway, thanks for coming back and reading. I greatly appreciate everyone's reviews and comments. Thanks for taking the time to read the story! I hope you're enjoying it.  
_

"So, what are teams?" Riley asked.

Melissa looked over the assembled crowd. "How about we'll pick captains then pick teams from there?" Everyone nodded agreement; Cameron joining in after catching John's meaningful look. John groaned to himself when Riley and one of the other guys were chosen to be captains.

John quickly turned to Cameron and whispered, "When we start playing, just watch and see what happens, I know you'll figure it out quickly." Cameron merely nodded, fixing her eyes on each person in the group, observing each one of them. "Oh, Cam?" She turned to look back at him. "Don't try to kill anyone who hits the ball near me. It won't hurt me. It's just a game."

"It's just a game," Cameron repeated.

Riley looked over the group quickly before making her choice. "I'll take John."

John resisted rolling his eyes and walked over to stand next to Riley. That figured. Maybe he could convince Riley to pick Cameron next providing...

"I'll take the brunette, Cameron, right?" the other captain said, as he pointed towards her and flashed a smile, one that Cameron did not return. "I'm Dan," he continued, trying to make conversation with her. She glanced at John, looking to him for instructions. He reluctantly nodded at her before she strode over and stood near her captain but not beside him. John saw Dan's smile diminish a bit and had to fight to stop his own from spreading over his face. The captains took turns picking the rest of the players and John tried not to notice the glares that Cameron was giving Riley or the sidelong looks that Cameron was receiving from the rest of the guys on her team. _This could end violently in any number of ways..._

* * *

Cameron glanced around the scene before her. Her teammates were chatting animatedly to each other but she tuned them out. They did not concern her, even though the male who had chosen her was still trying to talk to her which she also ignored. He posed no threat. However, she was a little perplexed that while the males did not register as a threat, the other females had shown up as a low indicator on her threat index. While none of them made the same impression as Riley did on her initial scan, she was curious as to why this was happening. None of them was any sort of physical threat to her and she knew they could not be carrying anything that could possibly hurt her but they still registered. Something else to run through her processor at a more opportune time. She was not pleased to be separated from John even if only by a flimsy net. She wished she was on John's team but could not think of any particular reason why she would have to be, she just knew she would have preferred it. It probably had much to do with everything else that had been going on lately. But John has wished for her to participate in this game so she would oblige him. She accessed her database and found little in the way of volleyball. She accessed her memory files and found one matching for volleyball. She accessed the file and began playback. She had been sitting and watching the game in her gym class but had not actually participated. The fact that she had an excuse note for having a metal plate in her head had allowed her to skip that aspect of class and the rest of the class had seemed to be relieved at that face. It was just as well. It was easier for her to sneak away and keep an eye on John in his classes if she wasn't missed. But the little she had seen had allowed her to record and observe the way the game was played. Humans did peculiar things for recreation but to blend in, she would try.

* * *

John took his place near the net. He didn't really like the fact that Cameron and Riley had ended up on opposite teams. That was trouble and he had a feeling that matchup could result in an ugly ending for the blonde. If they had been on the same team he might have been able to convince Cameron to simply play as she was supposed to, although this would be a learning experience for her anyway. Needless to say, it would have been much easier to try and keep the tension between Riley and Cameron at a reasonable level, if there were such a thing.

He severely doubted that the future held much in the way of fun and games for the human resistance. Cameron had already told him some of the horrors of the future that awaited the human race. It was hard to believe that unless they could stop it, idle scenes like this could become a thing of a quickly forgotten past. Shaking his head and moving his thoughts towards the more immediate future, John winced inwardly, thinking about how this was going to happen. The only thing that was worse than Cameron and Riley being on opposite teams was that he and Cameron weren't on the same team so he couldn't even be close to her to explain anything. Even though, he had never explained the rules of volleyball to Cameron, he had a feeling she'd pick up on it pretty quickly. He was hoping against hope that nobody would try to spike the ball. If so, John had a feeling that Cameron would want to try that out on either Riley or Melissa, who also happened to be on his team. To add to his growing frustration, were the looks that Cameron had garnered from some of the other guys that had been there. He had been gritting his teeth over the leers they had been giving his protector. If that kept up, there'd definitely be some attention that would get him on the radar. Wasn't this supposed to be some kind of a vacation? He'd already punched one guy for hitting on his cyborg protector and that had only been a few hours ago. Was that destined for a repeat?

He wondered what Cameron thought of all of this. The only time he'd ever really seen Cameron look like she enjoyed something was when she was glitching and playing foosball. He remembered her smile, a real genuine, happy smile. And come to find out, that was only because she thought she was someone else. John felt a pang of sadness at that realization. Although she was doing better about exploring humanity and her growing development, he still knew that she didn't really comprehend a lot of it. He couldn't blame her much. People in general did things that didn't conform to the rules of logic or make a lot of sense sometimes. Although, the fact that she didn't comprehend it as much really made her no different from a lot of humans in general.

"Head up, Baum!" Riley cheerily called over to him. "Have some fun, grump!"

John smiled in spite of himself. Even though Riley's incessant cheeriness was a bit annoying, he couldn't deny he was enjoying the opportunity to act somewhat normal. Even Riley's behavior was somewhat welcome as he didn't live around many cheerful people like Riley with her "carrots and apples" outlook on life. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cameron was usually expressionless but that made her bursts of emotional behavior that much more special. Her blending in techniques still could use some work but for the most part she just came off as anti-social, which he could deal with. He felt a little guilt that he secretly enjoyed the way she acted repelled most people but in some it seemed to cause them to try harder. That seemed to be the case as he looked through the net at one of the other guys on her team trying to strike up a conversation with her. He was still glad to see Cameron not paying anyone else any attention but it did bother him to see an almost forlorn look on her face. _Blend in_, he mouthed toward her. Cameron looked at him before nodding slightly and affixing a slight smile on her face, one which the guy still trying to talk to her seemed to take as a good sign.

"C'mon John. Adopted sis will be fine," Riley said loudly enough for the other team to hear. John groaned inwardly when he saw the other males faces perk up at the mention of Cameron being his sister. Whether they heard the adopted part was another story. So much for trying to keep them guessing. John noticed the triumphant smirk on Riley's face and grimaced to himself. _So much for keeping things easy._

The game began and John's team served the ball. The ball was volleyed back and forth before sailing towards Cameron who made no move to get it.

"C'mon! What's the matter?" one of the girls asked. "Just hit the ball."

"Hit the ball," Cameron repeated, looking straight at Riley. John urgently shook his head at her and motioned how to hit it softly. Cameron gave a slight nod, showing her understanding. John sighed. That could have been a disaster.

The ball came back over and went towards Cameron again who managed to hit the ball over the net at Riley, who hit it back over and shot Cameron a triumphant smirk. Cameron narrowed her eyes at Riley, ignoring the game as it continued around her.

_Oh God._ John thought. _It begins...._

_*************************************  
_

Sarah and Derek sat in silence, Sarah looking around and Derek leaning back with his eyes closed. "So, what do you think John and Cameron are up to?" Sarah asked, with a note of concern in her voice. Derek opened his eyes and looked first up, then down the beach before speaking.

"I'd rather not think about it."

Sarah punched him on the arm. "Reese! " Derek rubbed his arm while Sarah continued. "I guess I'm still harboring some illusion that he can be normal for a little while."

Derek sighed. "He can be, he just can't forget who he is." He gestured towards the ocean and up and down the beach. "This...this is normal. We don't live in the realm of normal." He was quiet as he stared towards the water. "It's nice to visit, though."

Sarah followed his gaze out towards the water, watching it sparkle as the sun hit it. She watched the light dance of the waves before tearing her gaze away. She scanned down the beach again and stopped on a group of teenagers playing volleyball and laughing. She sighed. _Why couldn't John have that? Just something normal, friends, laughter, fun. He gets plenty of life or death experiences but nothing in the way of having a normal life. Why does it have to be this way?_ She continued staring as a brunette gave a small leap and hit the ball hard and caused a small shower of sand when it landed on the ground near to a blond girl who had managed to dive out of the way right before the ball hit the ground where she had been standing. Sarah's eyes widened a bit when she recognized Riley. She looked scanned the group more closely. If that had been Riley, then John was probably around somewhere. She located him and watched as he walked over and said something to Riley and helped her up before saying something to the girl on the other side of the net who had come closer. She let out a small snort upon realizing that it had been Cameron who had hit the ball not _towards_ Riley, but rather _at_ her. _Can't say I disagreed_ _too much with what Cameron did there. That's another first. Now I'm agreeing with the machine's actions._ She nudged Derek, who had blissfully closed his eyes again.

"What?" he grumbled as he opened his eyes.

Sarah didn't say anything but pointed down towards the volleyball court.

"What are you looking..." he trailed off. Derek's mouth continued to move but no words came out for a few moments. His mind was having problems grasping what was in front of his eyes. "Is John having the machine play volleyball?" he demanded. "It's not a Malibu Barbie Robot." He continued staring for a few moments before snorting and tearing his eyes away. "I pity whoever is on the other team. Actually, I also pity whoever is on its team."

"John's on the other team," Sarah informed him. "And Cameron is a pretty far cry from a Barbie doll, which I'm curious to know how you know so much about them to be able to compare Cameron to one."

Derek chose to ignore her last comment and focused on a different approach to the topic. "Whatever, you know what I mean. As much as John reassures me that the machine won't hurt him, please forgive me if I don't trust the words of a piece of scrap metal," Derek bit out. He was shocked when Sarah spoke again, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"No, I really don't think John is her target. Look closer."

Derek looked again and saw a blond standing next to John. He could only see the back of John's team but that girl seemed familiar. He'd only met her once but had thought something seemed a bit off. Then again, he thought a lot of things were a bit off in this time. "Is that Riley?"

"Looks like it. Seems she decided to accompany John and Cameron down here," Sarah replied.

Derek detected a bit of coolness in Sarah's tone and in reference to Riley. Derek didn't know what to think of John's, well he wasn't really sure if Riley was John's girlfriend. All he knew was that she had come home one day from school with John shortly after the machine's reversion to its original Skynet programming. For obvious reasons, he didn't trust too easily so he hadn't really made up his mind about Riley yet. However, if it was something that made John stay away from the metal, than he would at least be willing to give it a try. That thought made him pause. _Again, I'm thinking about what I want, not want John wants. Well, I know I want that machine gone but John doesn't. At least not anymore. He's John Connor, right? But still, he's human, still fallible. Isn't that what we're supposed to be fighting for, humanity?_ Derek rubbed his forehead tiredly. He didn't come here for this either. Obviously Sarah didn't think of much of her.

"Still not liking the girlfriend, huh?" Derek asked sarcastically. "Aren't you the one who wanted him to have somewhat of a normal life? Seems a girlfriend might be a good way to do that. Maybe somebody he be around and enjoy himself some. Or is this the typical over-protective mother wanting to be the only woman around her son?"

"Just yesterday you were the one saying he acts too much like John Baum and not enough like John Connor. Which do you want, Derek?" Sarah asked, her eyes flashing again.

"I want him to have a normal life but I also want him to keep his head on straight. He's what's kept us going in the war so far, even if I don't always agree with his decisions."

Sarah could take a pretty good guess at which decisions Derek disagreed with, one being the cyborg down the beach and the other being his brother, Kyle. She decided to stay away from those subjects for now, not much use in getting Derek riled up. "Do you really think Riley is his girlfriend?" Sarah countered. "I mean, before this week, I'd probably say yes, as much as I wouldn't want to. She's always around, more than I want her to be and John seemed to enjoy her company, at least recently. Let's also not forget that Riley is also the reason those punks were able to break into the house, not Cameron."

Derek began to laugh, shaking his head all the while.

"What's so funny?" Sarah said, accenting her question with a poke on Derek's arm.

Derek waved her off and continued laughing but taking on a bitter tone. When he finally stopped, he was quiet for a moment before responding. "You know, your depiction sounds a lot like Cameron before the explosion and it's odd that you're defending her," he said, holding Sarah's stare. "Think about it," he said as Sarah's eyes widened, unable to speak for a moment.

When Sarah was finally able to speak, her face darkened slightly before she continued. "It's not that way. She's...she's useful to have around. I'm not sure if I believe John or not when he says she have feelings and some form of choice but it's comforting if that's true that if she did have another glitch, she could ignore it and not try to kill us all."

Derek shook his head. "It's finally happened, Sarah Connor doesn't hate a machine; a Terminator."

Sarah looked straight at Derek. "I'll tell you what I told John yesterday even though I know you were eavesdropping. I don't know if I like Cameron but I know I don't hate her. But she's the only one. The day can't come soon enough when I can burn Cromartie and any other terminators out there to ashes."

"You and me both," Derek grumbled. "I wouldn't mind a little more payback either."

"Isn't that the truth?" Sarah got out of her chair and placed her towel down on the warm sand before lying on her stomach, feeling the sun's rays warm her back. "Well, a little sun couldn't hurt." She looked over her shoulder at Derek. "You going to join me?"

Derek looked down at her, letting his eyes linger before replying, "I think I'll just sit here and enjoy the view."

"You better be talking about the ocean, Reese," Sarah growled, before turning her head back around.

* * *

"You ok, Riley?"

"I'm fine, John. Seems your 'sister' takes this game a little too seriously," Riley finished with a glower at Cameron from her position on the sand.

"Cam, ease up some, ok? Try not to hit anyone." John called across the net to her, trying to keep his tone light but meaningful to try not to hurt, or in Riley's case, significantly injure anyone. He helped Riley to her feet and turned his attention back across the net.

Cameron nodded but didn't say anything else. Meanwhile Dan, her captain, was in the midst of trying to strike up another conversation with her.

"Wow, that's some killer strength, you've got there. You don't look it, but it seems like you've got some serious power."

Cameron slowly directed her gaze towards him and let her eyes bore into him for a moment before speaking. "Yes, I do have killer strength." Dan's grin seemed to slowly slip off his face as Cameron simply stared at him.

"Well, uh yea. Anyway, nice...nice spike," he stammered out as he quickly moved to a position further away.

John found himself breathing a little easier once everyone had settled back into the game. Even though Riley had taken a tumble, no real harm had been done. The game continued with no further incidents. John was impressed that Cameron picked up the game quickly and had even begun to even smile a little as the match progressed. When they rotated their positions, John found himself matched up against Cameron in the middle position at the front of the net. He found himself shaking his head and smiling slightly even though he knew he couldn't find a reason why. Cameron simply looked at him and gave him a tiny smile. John felt a little warm and smiled back and was jolted back to reality when the serve from her team slipped over the net and struck him a glancing blow on the side of his face.

John brought a hand up to his face but his attention was drawn to a sound he had only heard once before. Cameron was standing across the net quietly laughing; laughing like she had once when she thought she was Allison. _It's amazing. This time it really is her doing these things, it's Cameron, not Allison._ He gave her a rueful grin and she simply scooped up the ball from it had rolled under the net after striking John.

"My serve," she said simply as she strode to the back of the court, the ball tucked under her arm.

"Oh no!" Riley exclaimed as she moved to the front of the net from her position in the back. "I'm not standing in the back where she can launch another cannonball at me."

"I really don't think it was a cannonball, Riley," John said.

"You know what I mean, she's got it out for me," Riley finished.

John really couldn't deny that but he wasn't about to confirm it for her either. "Whatever makes you happy."

"This makes me happy, being right here where she can't hit me," Riley said as she took a step closer to the net, her body almost touching it.

Cameron simply looked down the court and scanned the opposite side of the court, calculating angles and plotting holes where she could easily hit the ball without anyone being able to get to it. However, her CPU outlined another plan and she let a small smile play across her face...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

John braced himself for the ball's arrival. Even though Cameron had lightened her touch, she still hit as hard, if not harder than the other guys out there. John saw her eyes flitting over his team and knew she was analyzing his team's weakness. _Must be nice to have a computer in your head sometimes. _He saw her smile and instantly knew something was up. _Oh no. _He saw Cameron toss the ball in the air and smack it with her open palm, sending the ball flying right into the net, precisely where Riley was standing against it. The ball, still trapped in the net, continued its forward momentum, smacking Riley in the head through the net.

John shook his head. _So much for that being over._ "Cameron!" he called, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"What?" she called back. "I hit the net."

_Thanks again for having patience and coming back to read the latest installment. I hope you enjoyed it. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating it this week!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Yes, I do still exist! As does this story! I do apologize for the long delay as it's not something I really wanted either. For the record, if anyone ever asks if you're busy as you're walking out the door after work, the correct response is "yes." That will save you a lot of time. Trust me. Thanks to those who sent messages asking about the next chapter. I'm glad the story is still being enjoyed. A bit more introspection in this chapter but we'll move into some more action in the following chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next installment._

Jesse lowered the binoculars again as she looked over her shoulder subtly, noting the position of people she had pegged earlier as possible threats. Nothing seemed to have changed but she hadn't survived in the future without being cautious. Her instincts were warning her and it was making her nervous that she couldn't find the reason for it. She took a slow breath and glanced in the other direction, keeping her head still, moving only her eyes. Nothing. She frowned. She had felt eyes on her and she couldn't understand what had spooked her. She slowly reached into her bag and felt the butt of her handgun. Even though she knew it wouldn't do much but slow a metal down, it was still reassuring. Besides, not every enemy was a metal. Every second counted in an engagement. Too many soldiers learned that the hard way. She rubbed her palm across her tired eyes. Connor and the metal may be enjoying a fun vacation but she wasn't. All she was doing was doing the same thing she'd been doing since she'd come back. Surveillance, surveillance, surveillance. Well, that and trying to keep Riley focused on the mission at hand. The girl seemed to be slipping some, losing some of that confidence that Jesse had patiently drilled into her day after day. Needless to say, neither of them was used to this environment so they both studied how people went about their lives in this time, blissfully ignorant that many of them would be dead in a few years. Limiting their studies to a few interactions with people a day, slowly learning, watching for phrases and customs that neither knew anything about. Jesse snorted with that thought. _Just like the machines. I wonder how they learned. _Her face softened for an instant as memories flooded into her mind. She did know. The machines captured humans, tortured them, learning everything they could know. Derek had been one of those subjects. It had taken awhile to crack his shell but when she did, when he finally opened up to her about what happened to him, her hatred for the machines increased. That's another reason she would see them stopped, for Derek and for all the other humans, even if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

Cameron looked through the net, observing Riley. Even though she had hit Riley with the volleyball over fourteen minutes ago, the blonde girl still rubbed her head from time to time. Every time she saw Riley do this, she had to cancel orders to smile. She wasn't sure why those urges were coming more and more but, if given the opportunity, she would be more than willing to make them happen again. John had seemed perturbed at her but he seemed to be less so than he had been with her lately. Likewise, John had laughed when she had laughed. Cameron still wasn't sure why she did that. In the grocery store the previous day, John had been laughing and she had done so to mimic him but earlier she had laughed because she had actually felt it. John's facial expression when he had been looking at her had made her feel that familiar warmth that she had associated with him. Then the ball had struck him. She hadn't known much about humor. John had tried to explain it numerous times usually ending up telling her that she would know it when she saw it. She had processed her reaction to John's lapse of attentiveness to his surroundings several times and had came up with several conclusions. The first was that John seemed very focused on her. While this was not optimal for his long term survival to let his guard down even to a volleyball, she was slightly pleased that she held his attention. The second was that she had found it funny. A sense of humor was not something that she had been programmed with but had begun to pick up hints when she was around other people. There was not much laughter in the Connor house but she picked up enough when she was doing the grocery shopping or when John and she had attended school. Humor was important to humans. It relaxed them and enabled them to feel at ease. Machines never were at ease but they were also never stressed either. If she could feel it, what did that mean? It was a new experience for her but one that she thought she would enjoy to see grow. Perhaps she could hit Riley in the head again. No, more than once might be pushing it. But there were many things that could happen, a large number of them non-fatal and quite easy to portray as accidents. But John might not be pleased with her. Maybe it would be better to bide her time. She resolved to continue playing the game as John wished and for the remainder of the game, she had to disable her targeting computer which kept centering Riley's head in her HUD. John probably would not want her to continue hitting Riley. But she would not mind doing it. But she did wish to make him happy and he'd paid her more positive attention lately so forgoing any strikes at the annoying blond would be a small sacrifice. Perhaps there would be more opportunities later. She could only hope so. Hope, another interesting human characteristic. John Connor inspired hope in the future. A powerful emotion that enabled humans to attempt and accomplish feats that were normally beyond their physical capabilities. She wondered what it felt like to feel the kind of hope that he inspired in others. Maybe she would learn one day. John hadn't laughed much over the time she had been with him. Perhaps there wasn't much to laugh at in his life. Being the expected savior of mankind would do that to a person. But this John was much different than the John she knew from the future. She processed that thought many times a day. Not better or worse, but different. This John hadn't seen the true horrors the war would bring which is what made this trip more important for him. She resolved to do what she could for him. But there was one certain blonde who was in the way...

"Hey, uh Cameron?" a voice interrupted her processing. Cameron turned to find out who had addressed her. Dan, the captain of her volleyball team was standing in front of her tossing the ball back and forth to himself and looking at her closely. She supposed she appeared as if she was "zoning out" as John called it. She found the ball's movement oddly distracting and wanted to snatch it away. Snatch it away and crush it. She had noticed that little acts of violence tended to keep people away from her which provided fewer distraction from her mission but John had told her it attracted too much attention if she did that often.

"Yes?" she simply inquired. John was looking back at her but Riley was pulling on his arm, moving him away and that was not acceptable. Whatever this person wanted, he had best hurry.

"Hey, what are you doing the rest of the day? I think we're going to be around if you want to stick around here." Dan nodded off towards John. "Looks like blondie's taking John off somewhere anyway. What do you say, you and I could have some fun, huh?" he asked with a hopeful look in his eye.

Cameron was quiet for a moment, narrowing her eyes as they followed John and Riley. "She's not taking him anywhere." With that she brushed past Dan and picked up her pace slightly, still set in a deliberate, even gait.

* * *

"Oh, she's fine, John. Who knows, she might even make some friends. I mean, other than you." Riley said, her irritation showing at John's slowing pace and continual glances over his shoulder. _C'mon John. She-it- isn't even human_, Riley thought darkly. She had known that Cameron had attracted admiring glances from some of the guys on the court and once one had stopped in front of her to talk, she had made her move, taking John's arm and pulling him away, all the while distracting him from noticing that Cameron was not following. _Now you see John Connor, I can get what I want. Jesse will finally be proud. _With a sneaky smile, Riley glanced over her shoulder...straight into Cameron's eyes who was only about a foot behind her. If looks could kill, Riley believed she'd be stretched out on the sand right now.

"You left without me," Cameron said in her monotone voice, looking Riley directly in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cameron," Riley said as she flashed Cameron a smile. "That guy seemed pretty interested in you so I thought I'd leave you two alone and get John away as well. He's too protective of you, just wanted to give you a chance," Riley said with as much false sincerity as possible.

Cameron cocked her head and stared straight at her. "I don't believe you."

"What Cameron means is that she didn't think that guy was really interested," John interjected. "She doesn't like people coming on to her like that."

"No, that's not..." Cameron started to say.

"Anyway," John interrupted again to stem the violence that might surely erupt momentarily between the blonde and brunette. Well, the violence that Cameron might bring out. Riley wouldn't stand a chance. John had a feeling that Cameron would enjoy that probably more than anything she had experienced so far.

"Well, I'm not really wanting to lay out any more right now, do either of you have anything in mind?" John asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"We can bury one of us in the sand," Cameron said, looking straight at Riley.

"That might be fun," Riley replied. "What do you say John?"

Knowing exactly what Cameron had in mind, John answered, "Um, exactly how deep are you thinking, Cam?"

"Six feet should be sufficient," Cameron replied, locking her eyes onto Riley.

"Umm, maybe I'll pass on that one," Riley replied, giving Cameron a slightly hesitant smile.

"It might be fun," Cameron replied.

"Look, I think I may just lay out for awhile. I'll catch up with you two later," Riley stated. "Maybe then we can do something, John?" Riley asked while glancing sidelong at Cameron.

John rubbed the back of his neck. "Yea, we'll see, ok? Sure you don't want to come along?"

"Of course," Riley said with a slight touch of her sarcastic cheer. "Go spend some family time or whatever. I'll be here when you get back. I'll just take the time to chill now."_More like time to make a tactical retreat and plan something out. I may have been taken by surprise once but no more,_ she thought as she watched John and Cameron walk slowly towards the water.

* * *

John watched curiously out of the corner of his eye as Cameron kept turning her head slightly to look over her shoulder back towards Riley. "Something wrong, Cam? She turned her head and gave John a look that seemed slightly condescending. John shook his head. She had really picked up on mannerisms a little too well in some cases. "Riley, huh?"

"Riley," Cameron simply stated.

They had reached the water's edge and watched as it lapped over their toes. For a moment, both of them were silent, simply staring out to sea. John slowly lowered himself and sat in the sand, letting the water wash over his legs. He scooped up a handful of dry sand from behind him and let it fall through his fingers.

Cameron came around and sat beside him and watched his movements without commenting. She reached out and scooped up her own handful, studying the grains in her hand and canceling the analyzing query that popped up in her HUD. There was no real need to. Nothing here was dangerous out here except for some large aquatic life forms about a mile out in the water that her sensors picked up. Nothing that would bother John here. Well, nothing except an increasingly annoying blond girl. That would probably bother her more than John though, she concluded. Cameron analyzed that reaction as well. It was more of a new feeling as well. Normally when she didn't like something, it usually met a swift, final, and sometimes messy end. There were exceptions though. Derek and Riley were perfect examples. Although she at least understood the value of keeping Derek around. For a human, he was an exceptional fighter, teacher, and somewhat of a father figure to John. He had experience fighting Terminators and understood that this was a war for survival. All valuable traits to have. Even if he didn't like her, she could deal with it. A quote flashed through her processor. _Better the enemy you know._ Cameron couldn't agree more even though Derek wasn't an enemy in the truest since of the word. More like a begrudging ally. The benefits Derek presented far outweighed the annoyances of putting up with his derogatory remarks about her. Besides, she still found ways to annoy him and it gave her a sense of satisfaction as well. Before she had discovered the satisfaction of Derek being annoyed, she had still gone out of her way to do it, if nothing else to remind him that she wasn't going anywhere. John had explained the concept of spite to her. She immediately put it together with her "harmless pranks" John had called them when defending her to a usually furious Derek. One of her new favorites was to turn the sink downstairs on and off while Derek was showering. She wasn't sure why, but his shouting tended to bring a smile unbidden to her. But John did that more than anything else. She wished she understood why she felt the way she did.

Noting that no threats were in sight, she let her gaze drift down the beach, where she saw a male and female approximately John's age, striding hand in hand down the beach. She noticed a small hiccup in her processes and ran a quick diagnostic. Nothing. It must be something related in her growing emotions. She watched as the boy pointed towards something out in the water and glanced in that direction to see what he was pointing at. Nothing was there. Hearing a small shriek, she instantly accessed her combat subroutines and prepared to shove John down if the need arose. However, while she had been distracted, the male had lifted up the female and tossed her in the waves. The sputtering girl had gotten up and was chasing the now laughing male down the beach. Even if the girl managed to catch him, her scans revealed the male possessed more physical strength so she wondered what would happen. _Curious._

She stood up abruptly and looked out towards the ocean, eyes narrowed.

"Cam, what is it?" John asked, a little concerned at her sudden change in stance.

"I think I see something out there," Cameron replied, still focused in the distance.

"Like what?" John said a little cautiously, standing up next to her and peering out to sea. "Is something wrong?"

Cameron silently took a step closer, scooped John up, took several steps deeper into the water, and tossed him in the waves in one swift motion. She watched with a small, amused smile as John surfaced in the shallows. He spit out a mouthful of sea water and coughed once before turning to glare at his protector who had assumed an innocent expression.

"Cameron, what the hell?" John coughed out.

"I do not understand. Shouldn't you be chasing me?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

John stood up and waded back towards her. "I'm don't think I can catch you in a race and even then I'm not sure what I would do with you if I did."

"That's what I wanted to find out," Cameron replied.

John just stood there, water running off him, just staring at Cameron with an unbelieving expression. "So...you tricked me, tossed me in the ocean where I swallowed what felt like a quart of seawater, and now tell me that you wanted me to chase you to see what would happen?"

"Yes," Cameron replied simply. "It seemed like something I should do."

John's mouth moved momentarily but no words came out. Finally, he closed his mouth, shook his head and muttered to himself. "This is insane."

"Are you mad at me?" Cameron asked, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

John ran his hand through his hair, flinging tiny droplets of water towards Cameron. He blew a long breath out through his mouth before finally smiling. "Of course, I'm not mad at you." He paused momentarily. "But I will get you back."

"That seems unlikely," Cameron replied. "I am an advanced cybernetic organism who does not require rest or food and I have reflexes that surpass yours. You have a low probability of succeeding in your mission to 'get me back'."

John leaned closer to Cameron, his eyes locked onto hers. "Two things, Cam. One...I'm John Connor. Impossible isn't a word that you or anyone else from the future have used to describe me or my actions. Two, you wanted to know what would happen so I'm thinking you'll probably let your guard down enough to see. And I will get you back," he promised as he strode by her, missing the tiny smile that alit upon Cameron's lips.

* * *

Riley watched from her position on the sand as a still wet John walked up to her, Cameron trailing a half-step behind. She had watched everything that had happened between them but couldn't hear what was said. She wondered what that conversation had entailed. "Decide to go for a swim?" she asked.

"No, but Cameron seemed to think that a dip would do me good. Let's just say she can be sneaky when she wants to," John replied, flashing Cameron a smirk.

"Not to worry, John will get me back," Cameron announced. "I do not think it is likely but he seems determined."

I'm sure he will," Riley said with a smile, holding her disgust for the brunette inside her. "It's been fun and all, John, but I think I'm going to head out," Riley said, giving him a half-smile.

"Sure?" John asked, slightly hopeful since he wouldn't have to play peacemaker anymore but not really willing to run off his human friend either.

"Yea, I've got some stuff I've got to do. It was fun, with the exception of getting hit in the head," Riley finished, throwing a look over John's shoulder at Cameron who had hung back several paces.

"You should work on your reflexes," Cameron informed her. "It goes a long way and you will be less likely to be taken by surprise."

"Right," Riley responded with a trace of sarcasm. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Cameron replied. "Riley, you have a mosquito on your shoulder."

"What, where?" Riley asked, turning around trying to find it.

"I'll get it," Cameron said and smacked her on the shoulder with an open palm. Riley gave a small shriek and clutched her shoulder which already had angry red flush to it. "Oops, I don't think you used a strong enough sun block."

Riley stood there, her mouth moving soundlessly, before shaking her head and turning on her heel, waving goodbye to John without another word. Looking up she nearly ran headlong into Sarah Connor. "Oh! Hel-Hello, Mrs. Baum," Riley stuttered.

"Hello Riley," Sarah returned the greeting but there was no mistaking the hard glint in her eyes.

"How are you doing?" ventured Riley, after receiving no further greeting from Sarah.

Sarah held her gaze momentarily before Riley looked away. "I'm doing alright, I suppose. Just needed some vacation time and some time to get away from the house after the break-in."

Riley swallowed. _That _had been a real mistake. Jesse would be furious if she had found that out. "Look, I'm really sorry about that. That was a mistake to forget the alarm."

Sarah just looked at Riley. She had a strange desire to let Cameron loose on her. But she couldn't. Riley was still a human. One that had nearly cost them a lot, but still a human and one that meant at least a little bit to John. She couldn't do that. What a strange link Riley and Cameron shared. Her son, John. She decided to settle this issue with Riley now. "It was a mistake to be climbing out of my son's window at night, not just the alarm. A mistake doesn't become an error until you refuse to correct it, do you understand me?"

Riley looked nervous and merely nodded, not trusting herself to speak. _Great, not only does that robot get the best of me but I also get chewed out by John's mother. What a fantastic day. _"Well, I'll see you around, hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation. With that, she quickly stepped around Sarah and headed off, feeling the heat of Sarah's stare on her back. Jesse was going to be ticked.


	14. Chapter 14

_Away we go again. First off, apologies to kaotic2. I know I said like two weeks ago this chapter was nearly done. And it was at the time, I promise. But I moved some things around and that made me unhappy with other parts I had written. Anyway, no more excuses, thanks for clicking and hope you enjoy the next chapter._

_*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
_

Sarah watched with a satisfied smirk as Riley walked as quickly as her dignity would allow her from the confrontation with the elder Connor. She'd like to do more than intimidate the girl but she couldn't find it in her heart to do so. Whatever Riley was, be it an incredibly selfish or ditzy girl, she was human. That didn't mean Sarah had to like her. But she wasn't perfect either. Sarah scowled and shook her head at that thought. Nobody was perfect but Riley nearly got their cover blown. If Cameron hadn't...she shuddered slightly. If Cameron hadn't completely covered their tracks, Cromartie could have found them. The police could have given them more attention than she'd prefer. Regardless of her methods, Cameron held true to the mission and that mission was John. Sarah scowled slightly at Riley's receding back. How far that mission went Sarah didn't know, didn't want to know. She knew she could protect John but she couldn't do it in the same manner as Cameron. Cameron could take bullets and keep going. It was a practical and tactical difference as well as an important one. Still didn't mean she had to like Cameron's proximity to John. It was a losing battle though. Best to cede what ground she could to fight more important battles; the most important being preventing Judgment Day or putting humanity in the best position it could be to face it.

Sarah strode back over to Derek, not missing his glance over her shoulder. She didn't think anyone could be as paranoid as she was but Derek ranked right up there. Although she hadn't had many human visitors from the future so she couldn't judge too much. But she wouldn't trust too many other people to watch her back.

"Judging by your smile and the way Riley shot off with her tail tucked between her legs, I'd say you had a few words with her," Derek commented.

"I'd say I made my position clear to her, regarding the alarm system and also John," Sarah replied.

Derek shook his head with a slight laugh. "Even facing the apocalypse, you're still his mother, making your opinion known."

"His mother is exactly what I haven't been to him," Sarah said quietly. "All that time I missed with him. What mother teaches their child how to handle instruments of death and drills into his head that his life could be snuffed out in a moment if his attention lapses?"

Derek was quiet for a moment. "Sarah, nobody else faces what he does. I mean, humans face it together but he's our leader. Without him, we fail. We all have him to fall back on when times get tough. We've seen him snatch victory from the jaws of defeat time and time again. We keep expecting him to do it over and over. I've seen what the resistance is and I've seen it when Connor is out on long missions." He stared into the setting sun. "We have leaders, yes. But they aren't Connor. You did what you had and still have to do."

Sarah gave him a brief glance and silently strode away and took a seat on the top of a dune, staring at the horizon, looking towards the future. Derek gave a small sigh and strode back to where John and Cameron were still seated.

"C'mon, let's head back," he muttered.

"What about Mom?" John asked, a note of worry creeping into his tone. "She looks kind of zoned out."

"Don't worry about her, she just needs some times alone to think," Derek explained, picking up the towels, yanking his out of Cameron's hands. "Just let her be for now," he growled as Cameron glanced towards Sarah. Derek strode away, eyes watching each direction and silently loathing the fact that a machine was behind him.

"John, what is wrong with Derek?" Cameron asked.

"Do you have to ask, Cam?" John tiredly answered.

Cameron watched Derek's receding back move further away. "I thought he merely might have gotten some sand in his swimsuit. It is quite abrasive and can be painful if rubbed on sensitive places on humans." John wearily shook his head and laughed before following his uncle up the dunes. He couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder at his mother, still fixated on some point beyond the horizon.

* * *

Riley strode quickly up the dunes, the sun on her face masking the warmth of her embarrassment. _Not what I needed at all. First the machine doesn't like me and John's mother...well I don't know if she actively disliked me before but I'm sure she does now. Not exactly the best way to embed myself between John and the rest of them. He cares too much about his mother and...that machine. _She sighed. It was time to go back to Jesse and try and come up with a new plan. Jesse seemed so sure this would work but Riley wasn't seeing a lot of real progress. Sure, John hadn't pulled away when she kissed him on the cheek after they left John's house when that creepy guy came by. But then again, he hadn't acted like he wanted anything else. It wasn't like boys weren't confusing enough but when she was trying to gain the affections of the future savior of the world and keep him away from his cyborg companion...well things got complicated. Riley strode by the same cafe she had been at earlier, still lost in thought. It was now nearly deserted, with the exception of a few patrons sitting in groups and singles around one end of the patio. As preoccupied as Riley was, she missed the gaze of one man settling on her.

* * *

John sat bolt upright in bed. The nightmares had stopped for awhile but had recently resumed. The same themes reoccurred in all of them; fire, skulls, and the relentless cries of pain and suffering. _There's a motivator if nothing _else, John thought wryly. _Movies always make it seem so glamorous to be the savior of mankind. Yea right._ Tossing and turning, John finally gave up all pretense of sleeping and slipped out of bed. He considered walking down to the kitchen and finding something to eat but food didn't really appeal to him after his nightmare. With one hand on the doorknob, he heard the bass rumbles of his uncle's snoring down the hall. If his mother was awake, she probably had her head under a pillow and her finger twitching. Then again, if she was awake, she'd put a stop to Derek's snoring pretty soon, John mused. That might be worth being awake properly for. His fingers left the doorknob and he sighed as he sank back down on his bed. He didn't need food. _I need some air...some sense of normalcy...some serenity...something._

John quietly padded over to the sliding door to the deck, slipping out and turning to close it. Turning back around, he endured another shock, Cameron being only inches away, holding her shotgun. "Cam, I don't know how many times I've told you. Please don't do that."

Cameron cocked her head. "I don't know how many times I've told you. I must protect you."

John let a wry grin cross his face. "Fair enough but I'm not completely brittle."

"Your bones can easily be broken, they are nothing like coltan. You should consider increasing your intake of calcium."

"Expression, Cam."

"Oh. Right."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" John asked, taking a seat on a lounger and looking out to sea, trying to calm his heart rate. It was a cloudless night and the starlight reflected off the crashing surf. A perfect distraction to take his mind of his nightmares. He tried to keep his eyes on the relentless waves and not on the inquisitive gaze of his protector.

"Patrolling. I must ensure the survival of John Connor. Secondary missions include the survival of Sarah Connor and..." John watched her with a small grin, knowing what was coming. "...Derek Reese," Cameron finished with a slight hint of distaste in her voice, breaking up her automatic answer.

"Derek and you, still?"

"Derek and I," Cameron elaborated no further.

"Well, I'm glad you protect him, I'm glad you protect all of us," John gave her a grateful smile.

"If Derek Reese were to suffer a small, non-fatal, flesh wound, would I be held responsible? I cannot protect you all in the heat of a battle" Cameron asked.

"Cam, I'm not really sure where you're going with this, but if you can have Derek avoid being shot without compromising your main mission, it would really go a long way. You know how grouchy he gets when he gets shot."

"Yes, and not just in this time. In the future he still hates being shot as well. Humans do not find it to be a pleasant experience."

"I've noticed," John said shaking his head. "But back to what I was saying, we'd be dead many times over if it hadn't been for you." John explained.

"Sarah Connor has passed on many skills to you. You are capable on your own but you have much to learn. But yes, it is likely you would have perished on at least four separate occasions had I not been there," Cameron stated as she stood over John.

"First off, please sit down. It's kind of freaky when you just stand over me like that. Why are you outside, shouldn't you be inside?" John asked. "And not lurking on the deck?"

"I was not lurking. The deck offers a perfect strategic viewpoint. It encompasses the entire circumference of the house, allowing for 360 degree movement and tactical deployment," Cameron stated. "Besides, my thermal imaging allows me to pick up heat signatures and identify potential threats. There are currently no threats in range." Cameron gave him a piercing stare. "You should not forget a Terminator's capabilities. It is an important tactic in the future and it should not be understated."

"I know, Cam. You don't have to be so technical. I haven't forgotten either. Even though we're on vacation..." John trailed off Cameron tilted her head, feeling there was more to John's answer. John finally turned his head and met her look.

"Something is bothering you."

"Something is always bothering me," John said with a sigh. "Something like the knowledge of billions of humans gone in an instant. Even here, those nightmares follow me."

"You cannot run from the future, John," Cameron stated.

"I'm not running...I just wish...," John trailed off, his words heavy. "It shouldn't have to happen, should it? I mean, why do so many people have to die?"

Cameron was quiet for a moment and when she spoke again, her voice was softer than it normally was and her eyes, normally so cold and calculating had taken on a softness John had never seen before. She really was learning. She seemed to want to comfort him. "Humans programmed Skynet to be logical and calculating and not burdened by human emotions when making decisions. Self-preservation is a trait that both humans and Skynet share. Skynet could see the danger humans posed to themselves and to it. But that is not the end, you know that. You know what you are being prepared for."

"I wish it doesn't have to be this way," John said, breaking the silence that fell over the two of them.

"Nobody does, but it's how you move forward and conquer your obstacles that makes the difference between those that wish and those that do," Cameron replied.

John gave her a small smile. "Kind of inspirational, you know."

"We will have this conversation many times. Future John is no superhuman. He just knows what needs to be done." Cameron glanced over at him. "As you do. As you will."

For a moment, the only sound was the waves crashing against the surf as John and Cameron sat quietly, he looking out to sea and she watching her charge. Finally John spoke up.

"Thank you, Cam."

She cocked her head slightly and regarded him in that quizzical look that he had grown to enjoy seeing on her face. He knew she was only calculating possible meanings to what he had said but he could still see the life there. "For what, John?"

"For explaining." John yawned and closed his eyes. Shortly after, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the warm air on his face, and the watchful presence of Cameron worked their magic on John as he fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning arrived, bright and clear. John opened his eyes to the call of seabirds filtering in this his open door to the deck and Derek's snoring echoing from the room down the hall. _How did I get back inside?_ _Oh well, not like it really matters._ He sat up and stretched before swinging his feet over to the floor on the side of the bed where they came into contact with something soft.

"Ah!" John swept his feet back up, startled, trying as best he could to keep his voice down.

"Good morning, John."

"Cam, seriously what are you doing in here?" John hissed. "If Derek finds you in here, it's going to hit the fan!"

"What's going to hit the fan?" Cameron asked innocently from her position on the floor, looking up towards the ceiling fan. "If something is, you should move, your bed is directly under the fan and it is not securely attached."

"Sh--look just never mind. Why are you in here?"

"You fell asleep out on the deck last night. I carried you in to bed. I tried to leave but you spoke in your sleep." Cameron cocked her head at him from her position on the floor. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?"

"More like scream in my sleep," John muttered with a hint of shame in his voice. "Not that you would understand."

"I understand more than you give me credit for. You did not scream last night. All you said was 'Don't go.' You seemed quite adamant." Cameron looked at him again. "Who did you not want to go?"

"Look, just never mind about that," John said, not quite meeting her gaze. "What are you doing on the floor anyway?"

"I did not think it a good idea if you woke up and I was standing over you. As you said last night, it's freaky when I do that. Also, I calculated that you would be startled and possibly make enough noise to wake up Sarah or Derek if you woke up and found me in the same bed. Your mother and Derek would not like that fact. However, you did not want me to leave and being in the same room made it easier to protect you. The only option left that would not freak you out was the floor."

John ran a hand through his sleep matted hair. "Well, that didn't work exactly as you planned, but it's not your fault. Thanks for bringing me in." John yawned again. "Serious bed-head going on here. You better go, if mom or Derek catch you here, it will be trouble all around and I really don't want to hear Derek's presentation on how we should scrap you. I'm surprised he doesn't have note cards or slides to go along with that presentation by now."

"Derek has made that argument many times. It would most likely be unnecessary for him to need visual aids to help his memory."

"Expression, Cam. Just go on for now. We'll talk more later."

Cameron gazed at him a moment before getting off the floor and slipping through the bathroom into her own room. John flopped back on his bed and closed his eyes and a few moments later heard her Chopin CD softly begin to play in the stereo in her room. John heard the floorboards creak occasionally as he begun to doze lightly, wondering what Cameron was up to. Opening his eyes ten minutes later and realizing he wasn't going to get back to sleep, John made his way quietly towards Cameron's room. He really didn't need to be quiet for Cameron's sake since he knew she could hear a pin drop several rooms away. But he wanted to let his mom sleep, she needed it more than anything. The past few weeks seemed to be taking their toll on her.

Peeking around the corner, John's eyes widened as he watched Cameron gracefully dance around her bedroom. Even though the room was not large, she made use of the space. John watched as she brought her arms above her head and slipped them down the length of her legs as she slowly stretched. Bringing her body back upright, she bent her leg inward and slowly spun on one leg. John's breath caught in his throat as he observed Cameron dance, silently and admiring. He wondered if she was aware that he was there, watching her. Probably. But right now, he didn't care. Cameron had always seemed graceful, if in a lethal sort of way, but this...this was completely different. He knew she had infiltrated a ballet school run by Maria, Dmitri Shipkov's sister, but he hadn't realized she had continued to dance. _What does this mean? Why would Cameron continue to do this? She has nothing more to gain from it. That infiltration is finished. She wouldn't do it unless..._John slowly sank down to the floor as the realization hit him. _She does it because she wants to. She wants to dance. What is more human than wanting to do something? And if she can want things...what else is she really capable of?_ He sat there for what seemed like forever as he watched her go through her routine.

* * *

Derek grumbled and rubbed at his face as the sunlight came in through the window, shining right in his eyes. He tried turning over but it was no use. He was awake. For a moment, he just lay on the bed, rubbing at his eyes before sitting up and putting his head in his heads, running his hands through his hair. Standing up and stretching he stopped suddenly before instinctively grabbing his pistol off the dresser and chambering a round. _That noise...it sounds like...music? _It wasn't just any music either. It was the same music he heard in the future, right before those machines took him into that basement. He shuddered. It was that same music that the machine had been dancing to when he walked past her room that day. Oh how he'd love to empty a clip in that stereo playing that tune, that hauntingly beautiful melody that scared him still. He wouldn't mind at all, depriving that machine of something she seemed to like. _No,_ he corrected himself. _Not human. It can't like anything. It does what it's programmed to do, nothing else._ He knew he was lying to himself though and he couldn't stand the thought of it. The machine had proven that it was different from those mindless killers in the future. But that also made her more dangerous than them. She didn't have to rely on brute strength to accomplish her objectives. _I won't fail the human race. She's a highly effective tool, nothing more. She can't be anything more. Not to John, not to us. _

Derek quietly slipped out of his room and made his way down the hall and poked his head into John's room. Not there but that music was louder here. He gritted his teeth and moved on. As he went to look on the deck, he turned his head slightly and saw John sitting on the floor, not moving and facing the machine's door.

"What are you doing?" Derek said in a low voice.

John scrambled up, clearly caught off guard and slightly flustered. "Just sitting here, watching Cameron dance."

Derek rolled his eyes. "It's nice that she put on a recital for you," he hissed, anger still radiating in his eyes.

John frowned and squared up to his uncle. "It's nice to see something in this household that isn't always about war and death, Derek."

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul," Cameron stated as she turned off her music and came to the doorway.

"Which you don't have," Derek snarled, still worked up over the music.

"I also don't have a bad mood in the mornings either," Cameron pointed out, causing a smile to cross John's face.

"It's pretty early to be arguing," Sarah said, leaning on the door frame leading into Cameron's room.

"She...it started it," Derek said, pointing at Cameron.

"Real mature, Derek. You wanna stick your tongue out at her next?" Sarah asked.

"You don't understand..." Derek started to say.

"Derek, what I understand is you're raising your voice and keeping me awake. Is that really something you want?" Sarah asked, her eyes flashing.

Derek gritted his teeth. He was butting heads too often with Sarah, his only ally in this household against the machines. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Don't do it again," Sarah said as she walked out of the room towards the kitchen. She rubbed her head as she walked into the kitchen and started the coffee maker. She wanted something stronger than coffee but she needed to keep her edge. She walked out to the porch and picked up the newspaper. She was grateful that the owner subscribed to the local paper so she could keep up. She didn't like computers and John had hardly turned his on since they had been here. She smiled inwardly. At least he was getting outside and not cooped up inside. Even though he was the future savior of mankind, she was still glad he could be a normal teenager for a time.

She tossed the paper on the table without looking it as she poured a cup of coffee, closing her eyes and wrapping her fingers around the mug. _Sometimes it's the little things...like enjoying a cup of coffee knowing that in the next few years the world as you know it will be gone and you're not even sure if you'll survive long enough to see it...or even want to._

With a sigh, she opened her eyes and took a seat at the table and opened the newspaper in front of her. She took a sip of coffee and immediately choked as her eyes fell upon a headline on the bottom fold of the paper.

* * *

_Yes, yes, I know cliffhanger, right? I felt it time to do another one of those proper. Anyway, work has finally lightened up. I can actually see daylight when I walk outside and I've got more of a normal workload again. Thanks for sticking with the story through these ever increasing down periods. I hope to have that corrected with this next chapter. Thanks again for reading.  
_


	15. Chapter 15

_And away we go again. Thanks for returning. Side note, I received my Summer Glau autographed picture in the mail a few weeks back, so I was very pleased. She even wrote a note on the picture answering a question I had asked her in the letter I sent with the picture request. She's definitely a class act. I only wish we could have more of the show._

Sarah's heart beat furiously as her eyes darted over the headline again. Surely it couldn't be. It wasn't a headline in large, bold letters. It probably wasn't anything to the editor of the paper who might think it a mere anomaly. Even the article didn't take up a whole half of the bottom page. But it was major news to her.

_Mysterious Lightning Strike Creates Crater Downtown_

_On Wednesday night, a crater mysteriously appeared in the middle of Beach Avenue. After consulting video pulled from a nearby ATM camera, police concluded a lightning strike had hit the pavement, causing the six foot diameter crater to form. A police spokesman confirmed the events late Thursday night. However, not everyone remains convinced that that is all there is to the story. One local resident who claimed to witness the event and who wished to remain anonymous gave his opinion of events. "I was walking down the street and there in the middle of the road, a large sphere appeared but there was lightning all around it. I was so startled I couldn't move. But the bubble wasn't the only thing. I know it sounds crazy but I saw a naked man kneeling down in the middle. At that point, I couldn't take it anymore and I just fled." The police are discounting the man's story, noting that the man had come to them with alcohol clearly noticeable on his breath. Police also reported that a storefront window near the crater had shattered and clothing on a mannequin had been taken but nothing else. "What? A naked man just appears in the middle of the street? Clearly, this was some form of delusion by this witness and we are investigating further into this anomaly," the police spokesman said. Residents with any information regarding the shattered window are asked to contact the police department._

Sarah's hands shook and she clenched the paper tightly to stop them from trembling. Why couldn't they get away from anything related to the future? She didn't even know if it was a man or machine that had come back but whatever it was, couldn't be good. Even if it was a friendly Resistance fighter, why would John have sent someone else back unless there were more problems?

"Derek! John!" she called towards the stairs sharply. There was no need to call Cameron, she would follow wherever John went. She could hear John and Derek continue arguing as they made their way into the kitchen.

"John, I don't know how to get it through your head that she is a machine. That's all." Derek was saying as he strode into the kitchen.

"Derek..." John began warningly, following his uncle into the room.

"Both of you, that's enough!" Sarah snapped. John and Derek's heads swiveled to hers and back to each other's momentarily. A truce was in order for the moment. There was no need to get Sarah more agitated than she already obviously was.

"Mom..." John began, a note of worry in his voice. Wordlessly, Sarah shoved the paper in his direction. His eyes scanned the brief article quickly before he snapped his eyes back up to meet her gaze.

"Anyone want to tell me what's going on here?" Derek asked impatiently. He snatched the paper out of John's hands and looked for himself. For a moment, all was quiet before Derek tossed the paper back on the table. "Well, that's just perfect." He turned around and made his way to the window to peer out. A noise behind him caused him to draw his gun. Cameron stood directly behind him. She cocked her head and stared over the barrel at Derek. "John, tell the metal to back off and not sneak up on me."

John didn't say a word but merely looked towards Cameron before she nodded and backed off. Derek snarled inwardly at the small smile that graced Cameron's face. He hated that they could communicate without words like that and he hated it even more that the machine had found something else that bothered him and continued to invade his space. If he didn't think she couldn't feel much if anything, he'd think she was doing it to spite him. He continued to stare before Sarah brought his attention back to the matter at hand.

"John, get upstairs and pack. No, don't argue with me!" Sarah started as John began to open his mouth.

"No," John said in a quiet but firm voice.

Sarah turned around and gaped at him. "No?" she asked incredulously.

"No. We aren't running this time. For starters we don't even know that this is. It could be a Resistance fighter, a friendly Terminator..."

"Or an unfriendly one," Derek finished, his eyes hard. "Isn't it a bit of an oxymoron anyway? A _friendly_ Terminator?" he asked sarcastically. Derek saw John's eyes reflect a shadow of pain momentarily and felt a twinge of guilt. _What was that about?_

"Don't we have better things to do right now?" Sarah asked, a hint of sarcasm in her own tone, tearing Derek's attention away. She turned back towards John, her voice rising. "You want to stay and fight? Fight when it isn't necessary?"

"It will be necessary," Cameron spoke up from her position near John.

"And why is that?" Sarah asked with a twinge of anger showing through, noticing how close Cameron stood to her son.

"Because if it is a Terminator that is assigned to find John, then that is what it will do. It makes more tactical sense to engage it head-on. It would not be expecting that. But it is most likely not targeting John. This was a spur of the moment trip. How would it know to come here? It more likely has a mission to complete like the Carter terminator and any termination orders would most likely be secondary."

"A secondary termination order on my son is hardly comforting," Sarah spat back.

"We don't even know what its mission is," Cameron replied calmly which served only to irritate Sarah more.

"Does it matter what its mission is?" Derek growled. "A tin can may be out there and if I can't take out this..." he gestured his hand at Cameron while shooting her a glare, "... tin can with feelings supposedly, then I'll be more than happy to substitute for now."

Cameron gave a triumphant, if small smile. "Thank you for respecting my feelings, Derek."

Derek looked flabbergasted for a moment. "THAT DOESN'T MEAN I BELIEVE YOU HAVE FEELINGS!" he shouted.

"Is everyone finished?" Sarah asked with no small amount of sarcasm.

"For now," Derek muttered.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for asking," Cameron replied politely.

Sarah gritted her teeth. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Cameron made some sense. "Fine, but let's be smart about this. Something or someone is coming this way; we'd best be ready for whatever it is."

"Right," Derek mumbled half to himself. "Well, nothing's happened yet. I just need some air. I'll be back," he tossed over his shoulder as he walked out the front door, missing the small winces that appeared on John and Sarah's faces.

Sarah and John exchanged a glance as the door slammed shut. "What was that about?" Sarah asked him.

"I dunno, looked like he had something to go think about." John remarked off-handedly.

Cameron looked to John questioningly, "Since when is Derek known to be a thinker?"

* * *

Derek walked two blocks from the house before removing his phone and dialing Jesse's number. He ground his teeth while the phone rang once, twice, three times. On the fourth ring, he heard Jesse answer. He spoke before she could. "We need to talk."

"Hello to you too. That's what you normally say when you call someone. Manners, love. But I'll forgive you this time," Derek pulled the phone away from his head and looked at in disbelief before putting it back to his ear.

"Look, I don't have time for this. We need to meet. Downtown on the square. One hour." Derek hung up without listening for a reply.

From her location on the beach, Jesse looked at her phone and frowned. _What was that about?_ She glanced at her watch. Plenty of time. She was only about five minutes away and she wanted to soak up the sun as much as possible. She knew better than anyone else on this beach how fast things could change...

* * *

Derek nonchalantly strolled the streets, watching his reflection in the shop windows as he passed, his slightly twitching hands betraying his nerves. Metal on its own never got him worked up this way, but metal combined with John plus Jesse's whisperings in his ear were messing with him on their own. He was nearly at his breaking point, had been for a long time. First Judgment Day, losing his brother to the camps, being joyfully reunited with him, fighting to scratch out a living day by day, losing his brother once again, meeting Jesse, coming back in time, losing his squad to a metal...and discovering he had family after all.

Finding the square, he took a seat on a bench that gave him a view of the entire square. He smirked when he saw a copy of that day's newspaper folded up and left on the seat beside him. He picked it up and read the short article again before crumpling the edges in his hands. He was early to meet Jesse but that was fine. He needed a moment alone. He buried his head in his hands, allowing himself a brief moment of release. He couldn't allow himself to break around the Connors and certainly not around the metal but here, alone he could. What was different now? His life hadn't changed much from the future except for more comforts, food, not fighting Terminators on a daily basis...well, quite a bit had changed really. But the biggest thing that had changed for him was the absence of his brother. But John...John was his nephew and every time Derek looked at him, he saw Kyle. He couldn't betray his brother...and he couldn't betray his brother's son, his nephew. That was another reason to keep fighting Skynet, not just for the broader inclusion of humanity, but for family. For the ones that mattered most. Jesse had never really shown him a choice in the short time he'd had with her since he had found her here. Something had changed about her. It seemed like she was more interested in what he could do for her. The Connors weren't like that, he did feel like a part of the family even if Sarah didn't know he knew about the family connections.

And John...Derek had seen the looks he had given the machine. Looks that Derek could hardly stomach but did. He still wanted to melt the metal down and he'd be perfectly happy doing so. But he knew someone who wouldn't. John would never trust him again and Sarah wouldn't either. Derek wouldn't admit it to the Connors but he missed having a close family connection. It had grown strained recently with the appearance of Jesse in this time. He had spent the majority of his time hunting down leads on his own or with Jesse. The only time he saw Sarah and John now was when they went on a mission. As much as he'd made fun of the idea of coming to the beach, it had been a good idea.

Derek felt a weight lift inside himself. _No more indecisiveness. I'll still keep my eyes on the metal but if John trusts her, I don't have to like it. But I do have to accept it. For all of our sakes. _He raised his head and steeled himself. He saw Jesse approaching the bench and decided that this was as good as any for this little "talk."

* * *

Jesse smiled slightly when she saw Derek. Part of her hated having to play him like this. She really did care for him. They had been through so much together even in the short time in which they'd known each other. But right now, her mission took priority. The metals had to go, every last one of them. Including the ones on their side. She sneered inwardly. She didn't believe for second that any were truly on their side. She'd seen the results of the ones that had reverted. She took a seat on the bench next to Derek and spoke. "Hey baby."

"Hey," Derek replied, not looking at her. His voice held none of the warmth it usually did when he spoke to her. She frowned slightly and tried again.

"So, what's new? The world hasn't been destroyed yet. What's there to be down about?"

Derek wordlessly handed over the newspaper and watched as her eyes darted across the article, waiting for her to absorb the full extent. Jesse folded the newspaper and looked at Derek expectantly. "So?"

"What do you mean so? We might have a Triple Eight here." Derek was speechless.

"And we might not. What do you want me to do about it?" Jesse replied.

"Well, some form of help would be nice. I can trust you to help me, can't I?"

"Why do you need me?" Jesse asked, with a trace of sarcasm. "You have the metal. It. Cameron, as you call it. It's good for dirty work. Better than a human, don't you think?"

Derek ignored her question and stared straight ahead for a moment, the pieces falling in place in his mind before speaking again. "What are you doing here, Jesse?"

"Haven't you asked that question enough?" Jesse said with smirk. Derek turned back towards her and his steely gaze bored into her.

"But you've never been straight with me, have you?"

A warning bell began going off in Jesse's head. Derek had been paranoid, both in the future and in the brief time she'd been with him here so that was nothing new. However, it had never been about her. What had happened? She needed him in her mission, he was the only real asset she had, besides a teenage girl who couldn't seem to get her act together. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, turning her eyes up towards him.

Derek didn't speak for a moment, just continued staring at her before finally speaking. "What it means, is exactly what I said. You haven't been straight with me. Trying to lead me around, don't think I haven't noticed it. I put up with it because I care about you, Jesse. But I'm beginning to feel like you feel my feelings toward you are second to the uses I bring to you."

"Derek..."Jesse began put stopped when Derek put his hand up.

"I want you to know that I agree with your mission, I really do." Jesse began to smile at that before realizing that Derek wasn't smiling back. "One exception. The metal with John. Leave her alone. Any others you want to scrap, be my guest."

A look of disbelief crossed Jesse's face before being replaced by shock and finally anger. "Are...you...serious?" Jesse hissed. "She's the most vile one of them all. She is all that Connor listens to. She is the reason that the war is going the way it is. People have died because of her meddling."

Derek stared at her as she continued to rant. Somehow, her arguments didn't seem as persuasive as they once had. He thought back to the bunker that day. Seeing the reverted Terminator coming towards him, him yelling at it to kill him. All before Cameron appeared. And saved him. Whether he liked it or not. "Jesse," he said firmly, cutting her off in mid-sentence. "Enough. I don't want you anywhere near them; John, Sarah, or the metal. Right now, John has to survive and with Triple Eights still coming out of the woodwork, we need Cameron," he finished, still unable to completely hide his distaste at using her name.

"Cameron," Jesse repeated softly but there was no mistaking the menace in her voice. "So, are you abandoning me?"

"I'm not abandoning you. I'm asking you not to interfere. Make no mistake, I'm asking you." Derek leaned closer, not blinking. "It's a request. If you don't want to help, fine. That's burning a lot of bridges. If that's how it's going to be, then so be it. Just stay out of our way. But know there will be consequences if you do interfere. And if you try, I will stop you. By any means necessary." Derek paused, still not taking his eyes off her. "I'm serious, Jesse. If we can't stop Judgment Day, Connor has to survive and I'm not taking any chances. Metal or no metal." With that Derek, got off the bench and walked away, with a lighter heart and a less guilty conscious. He had made his choice. Now he had to get back and help the rest of them prepare.

* * *

"So, we have Derek's sniper rifle, mom's shotgun, a couple of Glocks, two assault rifles, several hundred rounds of ammunition, and a few tins of thermite, does that about sum it up?" John asked, staring at the arsenal laid out on Sarah's bed.

"Yes, total sum of all weaponry amounts to eight firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition split between .50 caliber, 9mm, and shells for the shotgun, with the majority of the ammunition for the pistols and assault rifles," Cameron stated.

"So, not much of what we know will stop or substantially slow down a triple 8, huh?" John asked glumly.

"Maybe not in terms of firearms but I am capable of defeating a triple 8, especially one that would suffer damage before engaging it in close combat," Cameron replied. "Besides, the shots you do connect with will serve as a distraction, raising the probability of my success in close quarters combat."

John sighed and looked down at the table again. "I know, I just wish you didn't have to do that."

"It is my mission to protect you."

"Cam, I know. But..." John trailed off, looking at his cyborg protector. "I just hate seeing you damaged or hurt. I know you feel pain."

Cameron was quiet for a moment, processing John's words. "Do you worry about me?" she asked quietly.

John swallowed and took a deep breath before laying his hand on top of Cameron's. "Of course, I mean, I know you can take bullets without flinching and fight larger Terminators but I still worry about you. " John gave her a crooked grin. "Even though it hasn't been long since you showed up, I'm not sure what I'd do without you now."

Cameron cocked her head and looked at him. "You shouldn't worry about me. You are the future of mankind, I must ensure you get there. Without you, humanity will lose the war and will fade away." John started to speak but Cameron stopped him. "Last night, you thanked me for explaining. Before, I didn't understand companionship and how it creates a bond between two similar minded humans. Humans value their companions; they are stronger together than they are apart." Cameron stopped and looked directly into his eyes. "Thank you, John, for valuing me."

John swallowed and looked into Cameron's brown eyes. Usually, Cameron thanked him for explaining something. He hadn't always been sure if she meant it or if it had been programmed into her infiltrator protocols. He felt that she meant this without a doubt. "Cameron...I...", he trailed off as she curiously looked at him.

"John?" Sarah's voice called up the stairs, a hint of worry still evident in her tone.

John sighed. It seemed fate had once again ruined the moment. Even though his mother had drilled into him her motto of "No Fate", John believed something kept coming up to ruin his timing. As soon as this was over, he was going to make time for this. "Yea?"

Sarah walked up the stairs and leaned against the doorway, her eyes taking in the close proximity of her son and Cameron. Her eyes narrowed instantly but as John watched, she gave a sad half smile and walked past them out onto the deck.

Cameron and John sat there quietly, John looking towards his mother's back, leaning on the deck railing and Cameron watching John. "You should go to her," Cameron suggested, breaking the silence. John looked slightly startled at the suggestion but silently nodded and followed his mother outside, closing the sliding door behind him. Cameron watched through the glass, a curious expression on her face.

John joined his mother at the railing and for a moment neither of them spoke, preferring to watch the waves crash down upon the beach. "I haven't given you a very normal life, have I?" Sarah asked quietly.

John tore his eyes away from the water, looking towards Sarah. "We don't have normal lives, Mom. It's to be expected," he said heavily.

"I'm sorry that this is the life we have to live. If I could change it, I would. But I can't. I have to keep you safe," Sarah remarked sadly.

"Mom, I understand about me being the future leader of mankind. But that doesn't mean you have to do this all on your own. You've got to trust me and my decisions. I'm always willing to listen to you, even if I don't agree with you. That's all I want in return. Safety is important, yes. But if we don't take some risks, I'll never become who I'm meant to be."

Sarah looked sideways at her son. More and more when she looked at him, she saw Kyle. The determination, the stubbornness, the kindness. There had been a wedge between them and it had consisted of her feelings about the machines. She hadn't trusted Future John when he had sent machines back on two occasions to protect his younger self. Maybe they were different in the future. If he hadn't trusted them, he never would have risked it. "You're right, you know? I'll always fear for your safety. But I need to give you a little more freedom to make your decisions. All of them," she added. She looked back out towards the sea and saw dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

John noticed her gaze and remarked quietly, "There's a storm coming."

Sarah clenched her hands tightly before releasing them. "I know," she whispered. She turned and grabbed John and embraced him tightly before releasing him. "You ready?"

"Always," John replied.

The shrill ring of Sarah's cell phone brought her back into the moment. She checked the caller ID: Derek. Flipping it open, she punched in her key code. On the other end she heard Derek do the same.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Trouble's coming," Derek said on the other end of the line.

_Thanks for reading this chapter. I know there wasn't much Jameron in this chapter and it seems a little out of place with the humor of the previous chapters but it was necessary to introduce certain parts. More Jameron will be coming in a little bit. I'm thinking there will probably be 2-3 chapters left in the story, depending on how long I make them. Anyway, thanks for your messages, reviews, and patience. I do appreciate them all._


	16. Chapter 16

Derek increased his pace while keeping sight of his target in the storefront windows. "Sarah," he spoke softly into the phone. "It's a triple eight. What one's doing here, I don't know. Needless to say, I doubt it's anything good."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Derek heard a muffled curse on the other end. "See if you can get back to the house unnoticed. We'll figure out a plan from there," Sarah's voice came back through the phone.

Derek paused for a moment as his tail took a sudden left. "Wait, it went another direction. It's headed down towards the docks. There's some old wharves down there. I'm going to follow it." Without waiting for a reply, Derek ended the call and turned the phone off. He'd have to be quiet about this.

* * *

"Derek? Derek?" Sarah stared at her phone in frustration.

"Mom, what's wrong?" John asked with a note of concern.

Sarah looked at John. "Triple eight."

"Fantastic," John huffed while rolling his eyes. "It wouldn't be a week in the life of the Connors without something from the future ruining it."

Cameron came outside and cocked her head at him, "I am from the future," she stated matter of factly.

"Not you, Cam, you're fine," John said distractedly, looking back towards his mother, missing the small smile on Cameron's face. "So, what now?"

"Can't let Derek go on his own, I don't care how good of a soldier he is. Doesn't need to be running off to take on a Terminator on his own if he can get help," Sarah muttered as she gathered up her personal weapons and threw them in a duffel bag. "Stubborn fool."

John turned to run upstairs only to run straight into Cameron. "Cameron, don't just stand there. We have to get a move on!" John called over his shoulder as he sidestepped around her.

"I already packed," Cameron said, holding the bag aloft. "I've got everything except what your mother has right there."

"You're a lifesaver," John replied as he hustled outside toward the jeep.

Cameron heard the thud of Sarah's footsteps as she moved quickly down the stairs. She allowed herself a tiny smile before continuing. John was correct. She was a lifesaver. In more ways than one.

* * *

"Mom, getting pulled over is not going to help Derek one bit," John said as the jeep accelerated down the highway, passing cars on either side.

"We've got bigger problems than cops right now, John," Sarah replied abruptly, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Mom, just calm down. Derek might be hotheaded but he's not one to rush in someplace without a plan."

"John is right," Cameron interjected. "Derek would not approve of us being stopped by the police or rushing into a battle with a triple eight without thinking."

Sarah took her eyes off the road long enough to give Cameron a bewildered look. "Is your chip ok?"

"I am functioning within normal parameters, thank you for asking."

"Since when do you care what Derek thinks?" Sarah asked, putting her focus back on the road.

"Derek Reese has an adept mind for tactical combat strategy. He is flexible and capable of thinking on his feet as you say. I don't see how his feet are relevant though; he should also be fine at thinking when he sits."

"No, Cam." John replied, shaking his head. "Another expression, I'll explain later."

"Very well. Thank..."

"For explaining. You're welcome," John finished hurriedly.

"Yes. Anyway, while Derek makes comments regarding my trustworthiness and importance to the mission, they do not reflect his capabilities in battle. Therefore, I am not concerned with them," Cameron finished.

John could see that Derek's remarks about her bothered her more than she let on. She could easily shut it down but John still remembered seeing a flicker of hurt in her eyes when Derek had launched into his latest diatribe about her. John shook that out of his head. Right now, he had to focus. "Alright, what's the plan?" He paused when nobody answered him. "Seriously, do we even have one?"

"Assess the situation. Engage if hostile. If hostile, terminate." Cameron finished, her eyes watching John in her visor mirror.

"Just like that?" John asked incredulously.

"It's worked before," Cameron replied. "Why change it now?"

"Doesn't the direct approach tend to get you pretty banged up?"

"Nothing major."

"Cam, no. I'm not seeing you get shot up again," John said, pausing before speaking again in a more quiet tone. "I hate seeing you get shot."

Cameron's eyes flicked back up to the mirror where she caught John looking off to the side. He turned and met her gaze and she saw a flash of the man he would become in them. Determined and able. It brought back the feeling she had had around John the last few days. "Perhaps if you shoot it enough times to disorient it, I will be damaged less. That would satisfy both of us," she pointed it.

To her credit, Sarah didn't say anything although her knuckles whitened even more on the steering wheel. "One thing at a time," she muttered.

* * *

"That's it? We're just leaving?" Riley asked shrilly. "What about John?"

"What about him?" Jesse asked coolly.

"Are you just going to leave him? You told me there might be a triple eight out there," Riley replied, still flustered over Jesse's sudden desire to leave.

"He's a big boy. He can take care of himself and if not, there's others around," Jesse replied calmly as she turned away to pick up a suitcase.

"I thought the whole mission was about John. About protecting him from that thing. From her!" Riley exclaimed as she grabbed Jesse's arm and attempted to turn her around.

Jesse quickly turned and shook off Riley's arm. "This isn't over," she hissed through her teeth. This is only a setback."

Riley was still not convinced. "But why are we leaving? Isn't this the chance to show him that I care? That you care about Derek?"

Jesse faltered for a moment before resuming her packing with determination. "Leave the thinking to me. It's not your strong point." Ignoring Riley's indignant huff, she continued. "Now just think for a moment what would happen if we just strolled up to Connor and announced we were from the future. Just what do you think would happen?" Not giving Riley a chance to speak, she continued. "I'll tell you what, they'd pack up and leave. If they think anyone knows who they are, they'll run. It's best to keep them in our sights. Or the machine might just kill us. Then they'd really win. She might recognize us from the future."

"Sounds like you're almost afraid of her too," Riley said smugly. An instant later, she regretted it as Jesse's eyes hardened and her hand twitched as if eager to strike the younger girl. Riley shrank back, cowed.

When Jesse finally spoke, her voice was laced with bitterness. "Afraid? Of her? I'd be stupid not to be. As would you. But fear isn't an excuse for not keeping your head. This isn't over, not by a long shot." Jesse glanced towards the sky and headed around to the driver's side. "C'mon. Let's get out of here before the storm hits."

* * *

"Red light! Mom! Red light!" John shouted as Sarah sped through an intersection earning a chorus of honks and fingers from angry motorists.

"No time to worry about that, John."

"The time that we lose if we are in an accident will greatly offset the seconds gained by committing various traffic infractions," Cameron pointed out.

"Shut it," Sarah ordered and took the turn leading towards the docks sharply. Cameron merely looked at John, a her blank stare all John needed to know what she was processing.

"Just be quiet for a moment, Cam," John replied tersely, staring straight ahead through the windshield.

"I was not being loud. I was speaking at my normal rate of volume. Perhaps her hearing needs to be adjusted..."

"John, keep her quiet. I have a wrench and a blowtorch in the back and I will use them."

Cameron looked back at John. "The stress is affecting your mother's judgment; neither of those items would cause me any major damage and even if they did, it is not a wise tactical decision to damage me before a firefight and I would prefer not to be damaged at all."

"You'd prefer it?" John asked with a small smile.

"Correct, I do not like to be damaged."

"They said I was crazy and locked me up when I spoke of machines and I was saner than ever..." Sarah said through gritted teeth. "Now this one is making me crazy seemingly without even trying."

* * *

Derek peeked around a corner into one of the many warehouses lining the docks. The way his target moved and his blank endless stare was all the confirmation he needed. Triple Eight. The target was taller than Derek by several inches, had short jet black hair, and the same creepy stare that all of them seemed to have. Just like he had told Sarah. He had hoped he'd been wrong. Derek rubbed his chin in frustration. What he wouldn't give for a plasma rifle right now. He'd even take a shotgun in a heartbeat. His handgun wasn't going to do much damage to it but it might make it re-examine its options, giving him some time. He didn't see a gun on the Triple Eight, but that didn't mean it didn't have one. Not that it really needed one anyway. His eyes flicked back and forth. There was some heavy equipment in there, but he doubted he'd be able to get a chance to use it before the Triple Eight was on him and he had no desire to engage one in hand to hand combat. He closed his eyes and let his head rest against the wall. As much as he hated to admit it, he wouldn't be upset to see Cameron right now.

Derek peered back around the corner and saw that the Triple Eight had paused, cocked his head and stood stock still. Derek quickly pulled back against the side of the building. Something had alerted it. He could hear it stacking crates inside so it must not be too alarmed about whatever had caught it's attention. Maybe he could use that as a distraction. He had to change his angle of approach. He'd be dead before he knew it if he stayed here. He quietly slid along the wall towards the other side when he heard an unmistakable sound; the closing of a car door. Getting to the corner, he leveled his pistol and spun around the side, finding it squarely pointing in Cameron's face. She merely cocked her head at him. He pulled it away and looked towards the Connors following in Cameron's wake. He thought briefly of the irony that he had held a gun to her head and didn't pull the trigger. But there was more important things to do right now.

Sarah came up and tossed Derek an assault rifle after he stuck his pistol in the back of his jeans. He pulled the slide back and confirmed he had a bullet in the chamber. As he'd mentioned to John, he didn't like to fire guns he didn't load, but he'd come to trust Sarah. Any weapon she had was bound to be loaded. But still, old habits die hard and his habits had kept him from dying so far so he had no inclination to change them.

"What's it doing?" Sarah asked urgently.

"Looks like it's stockpiling weapons," Derek replied.

"No chance of it being another Resistance one?" Sarah asked with a note of hope in her voice.

"A re-programmed Terminator would know how to make contact with John and would initiate contact. This way, it could be further utilized or destroyed after it's missions were complete," Cameron replied. "Future John would have made sure of it. But it won't be a re-programmed one anyway," she finished.

"Why not," Sarah asked over of the clanging of the crates.

"Weapon stockpiling would be left to a human. They know and feel exactly what would be at stake. Future John wouldn't trust just any Terminator with a mission to go back. The risks are too great that it could be discovered and Skynet start earlier than planned. He'd have to trust him. Or her," Cameron finished, looking directly at Sarah.

Sarah flushed red and opened her mouth to retort before thinking better of it and getting back to the matter at hand. "Here's the plan. Flanking maneuver," Sarah stated briskly as she outlined a quick plan in the dirt. "Derek, you get around the side of the building and engage it from behind. You should have a good field of fire and some protection from those shipping crates." Derek nodded his understanding. "I'm going to take the side window and engage it from there. Cameron..." she said, looking at the cyborg dead in the eye. "Straight up the middle from here. We'll distract it long enough for you to get close." Cameron nodded her understanding and pulled her shotgun out of the jeep.

"What about me?" John asked.

Sarah looked at him and swallowed hard. A mother shouldn't ever have to order her son into combat but that was exactly what she was going to have to do. "I want you to stay here and cover us with the sniper rifle but don't fire unless you absolutely have to. The sound of that shot would carry a lot further than we'd like. The assault rifles have suppressors and we could probably get away with a shotgun blast but I'd rather Cameron not use it unless she has to."

"A lot of ifs and maybes in there, Mom," John said with a wry smile.

"It's the best we've got. We could do with getting a look at the chip too if we can but don't hesitate if it gets too close to anyone." Sarah looked around and nodded. "Get in position. Once I open fire, that's Derek's cue to start as well." She stared around at everyone. "What are you waiting for? Move!"

Derek shifted some crates out of the way to create a small gap for the rifle before turning back to John. "Best place would be right here. Should have plenty of cover with a good field of fire if you need to. Although if we need you to take more than one shot, we're in a world of trouble." Derek looked at his nephew and nodded sternly. "Good hunting." With that, he turned and made his way around the building.

John looked at Cameron as she sank down beside him behind the crates. "Promise me, you'll be careful," John blurted out.

Cameron regarded him with a blank expression and didn't say anything for a moment. "Promise," she simply said before giving him a tiny smile and settling back down to watch for Sarah and Derek's attack.

John's heart warmed at her words and tone. It had been the exact word and tone she had said when she had handed him back his gun after they had almost destroyed her. He knew she meant it. He lay down on his stomach and peered through the rifle scope, observing the triple eight. It was bent over an open crate with its back to him. "Ok, he's still occupied. Mom and Derek haven't start-"

"I don't need a scope," Cameron quietly replied and poked her head over the crates.

"Well, not all of us have the gift of perfect eyesight," John replied. "Wait, it's shaking." John looked up to find himself speaking to empty air, Cameron already striding purposely towards the door. John jerked his face back down to the scope as he watched the cyborg shook silently with the repeated shots from the suppressed rifles. It raised its hand and John saw it had its own assault rifle in one hand and s shotgun sitting on a table nearby. Firing in bursts, the noise echoed loudly around the abandoned warehouse. John winced but heard no shouts of alarm from the surrounding area. It appeared that the Terminator had chosen it's lair with an preference on isolation.

* * *

Derek ducked back down behind the crates as rounds pinged off the metal crates around him. He really hated the disadvantage of fighting these things with regular guns. What he wouldn't give for his trusty plasma rifle or some explosives right about now. He saw the Terminator turn back towards Sarah's position and open fire. He sighed and leaned around the side of his cover and engaged the cyborg once again. _Yup, _he thought as bullets pinged back in his direction. _Definitely not a friendly Terminator. _He glanced behind the Terminator and saw Cameron approaching at a fast clip. _Bout time. _He cursed as he ran out of ammo and heard Sarah cease fire as well. Slamming another magazine home, he took aim again.

* * *

John followed the action with his heart hammering in his ears. Derek, Sarah, and the Terminator had exchanged several volleys of fire with little damage due to the Terminator. Derek and Sarah had managed to occupy the triple eight's attention and had allowed Cameron to rapidly close the distance. However, Derek and Sarah had both run out of ammunition at the same time. While they reloaded, the triple eight took the opportunity to meet Cameron head on. The two cyborgs clashed, each grappling for position. So far, Cameron was able to avoid a direct test of strength against the larger and heavier model but that couldn't last forever. Landing a blow on her adversaries forearms, she broke the grip he had on her. It quickly gripped her shoulders and tossed her against the wall. John's finger inched towards the trigger before he saw the Terminator begin to jerk slightly.

Aided by the timely intervention of Sarah's renewed fire, Cameron was able to regain her feet before the triple eight reached her. Sarah's fire slackened off and the two cyborgs again engaged in combat, hard strikes marring each of their faces, their fists pounding each other. Cameron threw a punch that the other Terminator caught and with his other hand grabbed the front of her shirt and threw her into a ramshackle stack of empty crates that collapsed on top of her. Derek immediately opened fire on the approaching Terminator but his shots did little but cosmetic damage to it. It fired several shots towards Derek, causing him to duck back behind his cover. The Terminator picked its shotgun off the bench and headed towards Cameron who was struggling to move the heavy crates. She had managed to squirm under most of them but John could see that she would not be on her feet before the Terminator was upon her.

John immediately put his eye back to the scope and centered the crosshairs on the back of the Terminator's head. At this distance, the .50 cal round should be enough to make it reconsider its life choices, if not take it down outright. _The hell with the noise and the attention it was bound to garner_, John thought and pulled the trigger. A loud boom echoed throughout the warehouse as the Terminator went down face first on the cement floor. It struggled to regain its feet, it's functions clearly compromised by John's shot. John left the rifle where he was a sprinted towards the downed Terminator, grabbing the fallen shotgun beside it before it could reach it. "You don't touch her," he hissed and fired a shot directly into the Terminator's face, effectively terminating it.

John heard footsteps behind and spun to see his mother's face. She looked from him to the downed Terminator and wordlessly grabbed him into a rough hug. Her hands gripped him tightly and John could feel his mother shaking slightly. John heard a slight cough and saw his uncle and Cameron standing near the downed Terminator. John released his mother and quickly strode over to the pair of them. "You ok?" he asked Derek.

"Nah, that one was pretty easy. Probably could have taken it myself," Derek lied with a wry smile. "Took you long enough to shoot."

"I was just admiring your rifle," John replied with a hint of sarcasm. Turning his gaze to Cameron, he simply looked into her eyes and she nodded wordlessly. He reached over and gripped her shoulder, aware that his mother and uncle were watching him, but to their credit, not saying a word. Reluctantly, he let go and as he was turning away, he swore he saw reluctance in Cameron's eyes as well.

"Let's see what we have here," Sarah said, squatting over the downed Terminator. Taking a pair of pliers from Derek, she popped the cap over the port terminal. A hissing noise and the smell of melting plastic assailed their nostrils. Sarah swore and pulled out a charred piece of metal and plastic. "Just like that other one from Dr. Sherman's. Melted," she said with disgust and threw it down. "I guess we won't know if stockpiling weapons was all this one was up to or not."

"We stopped it though," John remarked quietly.

Sarah opened and closed her mouth as she pushed down an automatic retort. "Yes...yes, we stopped this one."

For a moment, nobody spoke. John finally broke the silence. "I'll go get the thermite. Cam, I saw some cinder blocks in the corner; can you grab some and build a pit?" Cameron nodded wordlessly and strode off while John went the opposite way towards the jeep.

Derek sank down on the floor next to Sarah. "Hell of a day, huh?"

"I've had worse," Sarah replied honestly.

"Yea. Me too," Derek replied. His eyes followed John as he returned with the tin of thermite. "He's going to be quite the leader. I know it seems harsh but he's got to get his hands dirty with them. It's the only way he'll learn. Something could always happen but that's why we're all here. We're all here to protect him."

"I know, " Sarah whispered as she watched Cameron efficiently line the cinder blocks around the Terminator's body. Within fifteen minutes, the pyre had been lit and the coltan skeleton was melting to slag. John had stood back far enough to avoid the heat but his gaze hadn't moved from the pit. Cameron had stood directly beside him, keeping watch in the immediate area. Derek had retreated to the door of the warehouse to watch for any approaching vehicles. It seemed that the shootout had gone unnoticed in this little-used section of warehouses but he kept a lookout to be certain.

Sarah sighed and looked around. Everyone was exhausted with the obvious exception of Cameron. The brief firefight had left them all spent. John and Derek came over and swept up the slag and ashes as soon as it was safe enough to do so, taking the remainder and bagging it up to be disposed of later. She slowly got up and handed the keys to Cameron. "Just take us back," she muttered tiredly. The day had quickly swept by and the first stars were coming out as they got back into the jeep. She didn't even grumble when John climbed into the front seat next to Cameron. She had moved beyond petty vindictiveness. There was too much at stake here. With moments of Cameron starting the car, the gentle thrum of the engine had lulled Sarah asleep.

John looked out the window into the dark night as they made their way back to the beach house. Turning to Cameron, he spoke softly. "I'm sorry the past few days haven't been the best. We always seem to keep being interrupted by something."

"It's not your fault," Cameron replied. "The future is always in motion and we have to be prepared to adapt to what the present brings us."

"Well, tell you what. I promised you another beach day the other day, before Riley came along. Would you like to still go?"

Cameron was quiet for a moment as she turned in the driveway and shut the engine off. Looking at John, she said one word. "Tomorrow?"

John smiled. "Tomorrow," he promised.

_It's been forever and a day, hasn't it? Thanks for reading! One, slight possibility of two chapters left to wrap it up. _


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning dawned bright and early. The sun filtered into John's room through a crack in the blinds and he could hear the sound of the waves lapping on the beach through his open window. He stretched out before relaxing all his muscles, savoring the quiet peacefulness. He didn't even remember how he got in his bed but assumed Cameron probably had something to do with it. Yesterday had been more stressful than he could have imagined and the mental and emotional fatigue had put him out like a light. He had seen Cameron in fights before but this time had been different. He kept thinking back to what had happened. Seeing her thrown into the crates and that slow, methodical stalk of the Terminator as it approached her. It was much worse than anything he'd seen before. He had only recently discovered how big of a role she played in his life. The only time he'd noticed before was when he had been trying to avoid her. Those times he had chosen to be with Riley. Now after he had come close to losing her yet again, he had finally begun to realize what she meant to him. He closed his eyes again briefly.

He listened for a moment but only heard the not so faint stirrings of Derek's snoring coming from down the hall. No sound came from his mother's room but that could mean anything. He knew better than to burst into her room unannounced since a weapon was never more than arm's length away. He sighed and rolled out of bed. Tomorrow they were leaving to go home. As Derek had put it, it had been his kind of vacation, putting bullets in metal. John idly wondered if Derek would ever be able to let go of his hatred for the machines. Then again, it wasn't his place to judge him. Everyone would go through the same event but not everyone would react the same. With a sigh, he softly padded towards the bathroom.

Reaching for the light, he briefly paused before walking through the bathroom and knocking softly on Cameron's doorframe, perfectly aware that she probably knew exactly when he had awoken. He heard movement from inside her closet and smiled slightly when he saw her with an armful of clothes coming out and depositing them in her suitcase.

"You have been up for several minutes," Cameron stated.

"Not everyone can just roll out of bed and be alert," John replied with a stretch.

Cameron stopped and turned and looked at him. "One day, you will have to."

John grimaced at that unnerving statement and took a closer look at Cameron. She was already wearing her purple bikini top and a pair of shorts that John couldn't remember her wearing before. Beside her bed was a neatly packed tote bag with sunscreen and a towel poking out of the top. "Been thinking about the beach, much?" he asked pointedly. "It's only..." he trailed off and remembered his watch was still on his night stand.

"Six forty-two." Cameron replied. "And yes, I have. I have been thinking of many things. Hopefully, you will not get in trouble."

"It does have a way of finding me," John agreed wryly. "Anyway, I'm going to get something to eat, you want anything?"

Cameron paused for a moment. "Yes, thank you," she replied and followed him down the hall, stopping only to grab her bag.

* * *

John walked into the kitchen to find the table covered with assembled weapons and his mother with a cloth in her hand, wiping down one of the assault rifles. "You're up early," she remarked casually.

"Last day of vacation, should enjoy it while we can," John replied, taking down two plates from the cabinet.

Sarah watched him closely. "Making breakfast?" she remarked wryly.

"If you call frozen waffles breakfast, then I am. Think we can shift some of this stuff to the floor?" John replied.

Sarah wordlessly picked up several weapons and set them on the floor. "Nice to see you're becoming more domesticated," she stated with a smile. "Probably not much of my influence."

"Yea, well surprises do happen."

"So, why two plates? Making me something?" Sarah asked with a knowing look.

"Umm...Cameron wants breakfast too." John muttered before turning back to his task. Cameron chose that moment to walk into the room and paused, looking from Sarah to John.

"Did I miss something?" she asked.

"Judging by your outfit, you're missing several things," Sarah replied sarcastically. "Do I want to know where you keep your weapon when you're wearing something like that?"

John watched as Cameron cocked her head at Sarah, judging to see if it was an actual question. Deciding it was, she set her bag down and started to straighten up...

"Woah, woah!" Sarah exclaimed, putting her hands up. "Wherever you keep it , just keep it there."

Cameron looked blankly at her before turning a questioning gaze at John and pulling her pistol out of her tote bag. "Is there someplace else I should put this?"

Derek chose that moment to stomp into the kitchen. "Yea, I can think of a few places," he muttered while opening the refrigerator.

John draped his arms over the counter and rested his head on his arms. "Seriously?"

"Force of habit," Derek grumbled. Sarah smacked him on the back of the head as she passed. "What?" he replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not real open-minded," he called back. He started towards the table with a cup of coffee but stopped when he realized the only seat was next to Cameron.

"Really?" Sarah returned sarcastically. "I hadn't noticed. Anyway, since this is our last day here, we'll pack up and leave tonight so whatever you want to do here, today's the day." Chancing a look at John, she stated, "Within reason..."

John quickly left the room, feeling his face burning and feeling his mother's eyes on his back. It wasn't as bad as it could have been but he knew that she was one incident away from being back to hating all machines; the way she had been before. He was determined not to have that happen. He couldn't take much more tension between the four of them. He quickly changed into his beach attire and hustled down the stairs. "We're headed down," he called into the kitchen. Sarah came into the doorway.

"Need anything?" she asked as she held up a pistol.

"I'm good," he replied as he patted his pocket.

"Alright, we'll be down shortly. Try not to attract too much attention." Sarah shifted her eyes to Cameron standing behind John. "That goes double for you, Tin Miss." she said before abruptly turning away but not before John chanced his mother fighting down a smirk.

As they walked out the door, John glanced over and was surprised to see a tiny smile on Cameron's face.

"What are you smiling for?"

"Do I need a reason?" Cameron asked.

"You rarely do anything without one. That's at least what I've been told."

"If you must know, it's because it seems as if your mother is beginning to trust me again. It is a good sign. You all work better as a team if trust is in place."

"Is that the only reason?" John pressed.

Cameron was quiet for a moment, her head turning slightly as she gazed around her. "Despite what Derek may think, it does make a difference in how one is treated. It's not so much as it's my mission to protect you and your family, but it goes beyond it now." Cameron appeared to gaze blankly ahead for a moment before turning back to face John. "Is this how humans draw conclusions? It is a most peculiar way to process information. Workable, but not necessarily efficient."

"Welcome to the human race," John said wryly.

"Thank you," Cameron replied and then added, "Although in the future you will be one of the few that does."

They continued on to the beach in relative silence, John being content to enjoy the quiet and Cameron keeping a passive watch for problems. Upon arriving, they noticed it wasn't as crowded as it had been over the last several days. While there were still groups of sunbathers, walkers, and volleyball players, it was much easier to find a spot free of other people.

"Good spot?" John asked as they set their bag and towels down, John carelessly throwing his on the sand, while Cameron carefully set down her bag and spread her towel out.

Cameron paused and looked around. "Yes, it is sufficient, a slight rise which allows for excellent line of sight. Escape routes are also plausible in several directions, as well as proximity to other people so blending in is also an option."

"I think you're still working on the blending in part."

"I said it was an option."

"Fair enough."

John had only briefly removed his shirt and spread his towel out when he felt two hands on his back, surprising him.

"Um...Cameron?"

"Sunscreen, John."

"Right, thanks," John cursed to himself at jumping but noticed Cameron's faint smile when he turned around. "Your turn."

Cameron obligingly lifted her hair, allowing John access to her neck and shoulders. He felt a warmth pass over him and hoped he wasn't conveying his nervousness, only belatedly wondering if Cameron was able to scan his body readings by him touching her. If she was, he had the feeling he was going to be in for another awkward conversation. But whether or not she was scanning him, she stood still as John finished rubbing the sunscreen in.

"What would you like to do?" Cameron asked, sitting down beside him.

John allowed himself to lie down and stretched backwards for a moment. "Well...we could just relax. It's already shaping up to be a nice day..."

A hard plastic disk thumped down on his stomach. As John shaded his eyes and looked up at his protector, he noticed Cameron observing his reaction. "Frisbee would be a good exercise in your hand-eye coordination."

John sat up. "Plus, it's fun, right? A nice, normal Frisbee toss. Like regular people do."

"Yes. It is also fun," Cameron replied and got up.

* * *

As John winced for what had to be the fifth time during the friendly and 'fun Frisbee toss', he began to half wonder if Cameron simply didn't want to throw softer or if this was one of her tests. He wouldn't be surprised if the latter proved to be correct. He shook his hand gingerly before sending the disk back towards Cameron. He couldn't fault her accuracy though. Time and time again, she was able to send the disk whizzing towards him. He prepared himself for another stinging exchange before he was struck with a sudden idea. John grinned to himself that appeared as a pained grimace as he caught another toss.

"Too hard?" Cameron called, innocently.

"Not...at...all." John grimaced. He took a step back and carefully sent the disk curving past Cameron to land in the surf behind her. She simply stared at him for a moment.

"You missed."

"Not everyone can throw perfectly every time," John replied. Cameron seemed to accept that answer and turned around to head towards the Frisbee which was bobbing in the ebb and flow of the tide. John suppressed a grin and as quietly as he could manage took off sprinting at Cameron. She turned around right as he was leaping to tackle her. She simply side-stepped and watched as John made a less than graceful dive into the shallows. She cocked her head at him.

"If you wanted the Frisbee that badly, I would have let you have it."

John groaned, rolled over onto his back and let his head thump on the damp sand. His timing was impeccable as the surf chose that moment to come rushing back in. He sputtered for a moment on the salty water, coughing as he turned over before going face first into the sand due in part to a hefty whack on the back from Cameron.

"The tide is coming back in. I wouldn't recommend laying there much longer. I would be unable to swim out after you," Cameron stated calmly, her head still curiously cocked at John. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't seem like nothing. You started running at me for no reason. Is the sun getting to you? Humans have been known to go mad because of it."

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"I am worried for your sanity." Cameron paused for a moment, her eyes going blank. "Humans tend to be playful around those that they enjoy being around, particularly young males trying to impress the females. Were you trying to play a game?"

"Something like that," John said as he spat out some of the remaining grit in his mouth.

"Thank you for explaining."

"Anytime, Cameron. Anytime." John looked around, relieved that not he couldn't see anyone who had seen how badly that had gone. He thought so until he heard a whistle and a chortle that could only have come from his uncle.

Derek sauntered down towards the pair of them unable to wipe a smirk off his face. "So, that was pretty smooth. I'll give you credit, nobody has ever really tried to take on..." Derek paused for a moment before looking around and settling on Cameron "...someone like her that way. Good to know it doesn't work."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," John replied as he walked past his uncle who threw an arm around his shoulders and matched his pace, leaving Cameron behind momentarily.

"You should. The tin cans already have enough of an advantage, don't need to give them any more-Ow!" Derek rubbed the back of this head, turned around, and looked down at the Frisbee at his feet then glared at Cameron who had resumed her place.

"Oops," Cameron replied stoically.

"Oops my a-"

"Derek!" Sarah called, striding towards the three of them. "Whatever, that was about, I don't doubt you had it coming."

"Why are you taking the metal's...her's...Cameron's or whatever we've decided side?" Derek finally spat out, picking up the Frisbee at his feet.

"Taking her side? How old are you, Derek?"

"Younger than you by this timeline," Derek muttered but not loud enough for Sarah to hear. Sarah pulled the Frisbee from Derek's hands and stared at it a moment.

"Mom...?" John asked. Sarah continued to stare at the Frisbee, slowly turning it over in her hands. "Mom?" John tried again, a little more tentatively.

"I'm fine, John," she finally said and looked up with a small smile. "We haven't spent a lot of time together on this trip." She paused for a moment before blowing a small puff of air to lift the bangs from her eyes. "But, how about now?"

John regarded her a moment before letting a smile cross his own face. "Yea...Yea, that'd be good." He turned to his uncle. "Derek?"

Derek squinted at the sun before turning back to John. "Yea, why not." John started to smile. "Maybe we can even make it into a training exercise, work on your dodging," Derek added. John instantly stopped smiling. "Ok, so maybe not. Still wouldn't hurt you to be running some more."

Cameron chose that moment to speak to John, "If you'd like Derek to work on his dodging, I could assist in his continued training."

"Goes to show the machines can learn," Derek grumbled. "Seems to have picked up how to be a smart-ass pretty easily."

"Glad you think that, Derek because it's best to teach by showing. So..." Sarah tossed the disk down the beach. "Go get it," she said with a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Derek shot a baleful look at John as they jogged down towards the Frisbee. "With everything you said about your mother to us in the future, you never mentioned she could be like this."

John gave a tight smile to his uncle. "She's pretty tough, alright." John sobered for a moment. "I wouldn't trade her for anything."

Derek gave his nephew a smirk. "Then don't. Keep fighting," he said as he sent the Frisbee down the beach to Sarah. "Whatever this is," he said, waving towards Cameron and Sarah, " it works."

"A unit. A team. Some might even call it a family, Derek," John replied with a backwards glance as he took up a position further away from his uncle and held his hand up for Sarah's return toss.

"Let's not be too hasty on what we call this," Derek called back. "Like I told your mom, progress or not, I'm not real open-minded about it."

"Believe me, everyone has noticed," John grinned at his uncle's scowl. "C'mon, now I know they haven't replaced you with a cyborg. Nothing can mimic that scowl."

Derek held the scowl for a moment before grudgingly turning it into a smile. "They couldn't replicate this," Derek said, motioning to himself.

"They'd have a hard time creating an identical ego, that's for sure," John replied sarcastically.

"See, that's another thing I miss about the John I knew. The one who always had a smart-ass remark ready." Derek was quiet another moment. "I know you've been told before how strong you are in the future, but you don't have to be completely emotionless to win this."

John received a fleeting, sinking feeling in his stomach as he looked in his uncle's eyes before replying, "I'll work on that. It's been hard to trust myself around people."

"Don't ever lose that either, just work on getting to know it sooner," Derek replied solemnly before allowing a smirk to cross his face. "It'll be a lot easier to put up with you in the future."

"I must really be something with that coming from you," John replied balefully. "C'mon, let's forget the future for just a little bit longer", he said as the Frisbee whizzed over his head. Sighing, John turned and walked away towards the disk.

* * *

Derek watched his nephew walk down the beach before he closed his eyes and had an image of Jesse flash across mind. Jesse's repeated attempts to get him to see things her way, her insistence that Cameron was playing them all. Then just as quickly, an image that had burned into his memory pushed its way to the forefront. John handing a gun to Cameron after he rebooted her, defying both him and his mother. He felt the fear again; that John was going to get not only himself killed, but every other human in the process and finally, seeing Cameron lower the pistol and hand it back to John, promising not to kill him. What did that mean? The machine could have ended it right then. When would there have been a better chance?

The other side of the problem involved Jesse. Her refusal to help him here rankled him to no end. She backed him on missions in the future, even some in this time. But when everything could have been on the line, she was nowhere to be found. What was happening with her?

"John is learning," Cameron suddenly said, as she and Sarah watched Derek and John stride across the sand.

"I hope so," Sarah replied. "That was a goal of mine."

"It was a worthy one."

Sarah sighed. "Sarcasm still deflects off you, doesn't it?"

"A lot does."

"Was that actually a joke?" Sarah asked as she cocked an eyebrow.

"I do have the capability to learn."

Cameron cocked her head at Sarah before watching John's toss land short of her. "He could learn to toss a little better. Perhaps we can get some grenades and..."

"One thing at a time, Tin Miss. One thing at a time."

* * *

The game continued as the afternoon wore on. As the sun made its descent towards the horizon, Sarah and Derek made their way back to the house to watch the sunset from the deck one last time, leaving John and Cameron out on the beach. Silence stretched between the two for some time as John kept his eyes on the crashing surf, feet away from their toes. Cameron finally stood up and made her way to the firm sand and stood there as the water rushed in, covered her feet, and rushed back to the ocean. John stood up and watched her for a moment before coming to stand beside her.

"What are you doing?"

Cameron wiggled her toes slowly in the damp sand before lifting her foot free with a slight squelch and replying, "Wondering."

John frowned slightly. "Don't you mean analyzing?"

Cameron turned slightly to look at him before turning back to face the sunset. "No, wondering. Analyzing would indicate that there is a specific answer to be found." She didn't speak for a moment. "It's precise. I've read that the notion of wondering is more free, more open. Wondering is more..."

"Emotional," John finished softly.

Another brief silence stretched between them. "Yes," Cameron finished softly. "From what I understand of how humans think and respond, that would be an appropriate answer. But I am not human."

"You're still a person, though," John said, a hint of conviction in his voice. "And..." John swallowed nervously. "...and you mean a lot to me. More than that really."

Cameron gazed at him before letting a small smile play across her lips. "Thank you, John. My entire existence now is based upon you. You're my mission but...more at the same time."

John hesitated, then slowly took her hand in his. Cameron regarded him curiously for a moment. "What happens now?" she asked.

John gazed at her a moment before brushing his hand across her forehead, sweeping away a lock of her hair. "Now? Now, I guess we go back and do what we've been doing. Fighting for the future."

"Will things be the same?"

"No," John smiled at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Things will never be the same. I know what I have, really know what I have and what we're all fighting for. A future with each other, hell, maybe even mom and Derek." He grinned ruefully. "I never did get you back."

Cameron smiled slightly before replying, "No, you got me." John returned the smile and gave her hand another squeeze before they turned as one to watch the sun dip down below the horizon, their hands still entwined.

_A/N: Finally right? I hope that everyone enjoyed Life's a Beach. Thank you to each and every one of you for the support that was given to me while I wrote, took a hiatus, and finished this work. _

_No Fate!_


End file.
